Http://En.Wikipedia.Org/Wiki/Arab_slave_trade#Arab_views_on_African_people Al-Jahiz Also Stated In His Kitab Al-Bukhala ("Avarice And The Avaricious") That: "We Know That The Zanj (Blacks) Are The Least Intelligent And The Least Discerning Of Mankind, And The Least Capable Of Understanding The Consequences Of Their Actions." Jahiz' Criticism However, Was Limited To The Zanj And Not Blacks In Totality, Likely As A Result Of The Zanji Revolts In His Native Iraq. This Sentiment Was Echoed In The Following Passage From Kitab Al-Bad' Wah-Tarikh (Vol.4) By The Medieval Arab Writer Al-Muqaddasi: As For The Zanj, They Are People Of Black Color, Flat Noses, Kinky Hair, And Little Understanding Or Intelligence.[65] Al-Dimashqi (Ibn Al-Nafis), The Arab Polymath, Also Described The Inhabitants Of The Sudan (Region) And The Zanj Coast, Among Others, As Being Of "Dim" Intelligence And That: ...The Moral Characteristics Found In Their Mentality Are Close To The Instinctive Characteristics Found Naturally In Animals. —Andrew Reid And Paul J. Lane, African Historical Archaeologies[66] By The 14th Century, An Overwhelming Number Of Slaves Came From Sub-Saharan Africa, Leading To Prejudice Against Black People In The Works Of Several Arabic Historians And Geographers. For Example, The Egyptian Historian Al-Abshibi (1388--1446) Wrote: "It Is Said That When The [Black] Slave Is Sated, He Fornicates, When He Is Hungry, He Steals."[67] Egyptian Slavemaster And Waswahili Slave. Mistranslations Of Arab Scholars And Geographers From This Time Period Have Led Many To Attribute Certain Racist Attitudes That Weren't Prevalent Until The 18th And 19th Century To Writings Made Centuries Ago.[8][68] Although Bias Against Those Of Very Black Complexion Existed In The Arab World In The 15th Century It Didn't Have As Much Stigma As It Later Would. Older Translations Of Ibn Khaldun, For Example In The Negroland Of The Arabs Examined And Explained[69] Which Was Written In 1841 Gives Excerpts Of Older Translations That Were Not Part Of Later Colonial Propaganda And Show Black Africans In A Generally Positive Light. In 14th Century North Africa, The Arab Sociologist, Ibn Khaldun, Wrote In His Muqaddimah: When The Conquest Of The West (By The Arabs) Was Completed, And Merchants Began To Penetrate Into The Interior, They Saw No Nation Of The Blacks So Mighty As Ghanah, The Dominions Of Which Extended Westward As Far As The Ocean. The King's Court Was Kept In The City Of Ghanah, Which, According To The Author Of The Book Of Roger (El Idrisi), And The Author Of The Book Of Roads And Realms (El Bekri), Is Divided Into Two Parts, Standing On Both Banks Of The Nile, And Ranks Among The Largest And Most Populous Cities Of The World. The People Of Ghanah Had For Neighbours, On The East, A Nation, Which, According To Historians, Was Called Susu; After Which Came Another Named Mali; And After That Another Known By The Name Of Kaukau ; Although Some People Prefer A Different Orthography, And Write This Name Kagho. The Last-Named Nation Was Followed By A People Called Tekrur. The People Of Ghanah Declined In Course Of Time, Being Overwhelmed Or Absorbed By The Molaththemun (Or Muffled People;That Is, The Morabites), Who, Adjoining Them On The North Towards The Berber Country, Attacked Them, And, Taking Possession Of Their Territory, Compelled Them To Embrace The Mohammedan Religion. The People Of Ghanah, Being Invaded At A Later Period By The Susu, A Nation Of Blacks In Their Neighbourhood, Were Exterminated, Or Mixed With Other Black Nations.

• published: 18 May 2014
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