Slavery Then And Now

Writing back-to-back articles on the Middle Passage and the situation in the Sudan has not only caused me to yearn for a lighter topic but has caused me to ponder some of the key differences between the traditional and contemporary forms of slavery. Rather than auctioning off household servants and plantation workers, Sudanese slavery seems to specialize in the acquisition of permanently available sex objects.

Many of the female slaves redeemed by Christian Solidarity International have returned to their home villages impregnated by their captors; the frequency of gang rapes often completely obscures the identity of the father. CSI tries to make sure that the redeemed slaves are photographed and fingerprinted, sort of a receipt, if you will, in case they are abducted again.

Whether this organization is doing more harm than good in the Sudan is also a matter for intense ethical scrutiny. Money earned from the sale of slaves is used to buy guns in order to conduct more raids and capture more slaves. So, in a very real sense, CSI is helping to speed along a vicious circle. Similar organizations such as the US-based Christian Freedom International have, upon further soul-searching, decided to disband the practice of buying slaves.

What do they say the Road to Hell is paved with again?