Whenever I mention to the modern-day version of leftists how recently many Islamic countries had legal slavery, they always retort that it was "just some musty old law on the books, there weren't any actual slaves in those countries in the 20th century". They also like to talk a lot about European imperialism, and are ignorant that up to 1913 the Turks ruled significant parts of eastern Europe; and it was not a benevolent rule..
I could be described as a “modern day leftist”. I know that slavery has never, ever, been eradicated, it simply changes shape. Türkiye was part of the Ottoman empire, an empire noted for a great many things…but I have never seen it described as benevolent.
Whenever I mention to the modern-day version of leftists how recently many Islamic countries had legal slavery, they always retort that it was "just some musty old law on the books, there weren't any actual slaves in those countries in the 20th century". They also like to talk a lot about European imperialism, and are ignorant that up to 1913 the Turks ruled significant parts of eastern Europe; and it was not a benevolent rule..
I could be described as a “modern day leftist”. I know that slavery has never, ever, been eradicated, it simply changes shape. Türkiye was part of the Ottoman empire, an empire noted for a great many things…but I have never seen it described as benevolent.
This essay is fascinating, the story of the flagpole stump is astonishing…thank you for a brilliant Sunday morning read.