21st Century Slavery in Malaysia (1)
200 years ago, an Evangelical Christian by the name of William Wilberforce successfully campaigned for the passing of a slavery abolition law in Britain. His motivations were based scriptural and despite the opinion of the Church then that slavery was acceptable, he took God’s creation of all humanity and God’s calling for His people to stand up against injustice seriously. March 2007 marked the 200th anniversary of the abolishment of the slave trade in Britain and churches around the world (with the notable exception of Malaysia) remembered Wilberforce and went back to the Word of God to seek guidance in how to tackle the legacy of slavery still existing today.
William Wilberforce was born in Hull, England in 1759, and first elected to the House of Commons at the age of 21. During his time in Parliament, Wilberforce led the political battle to abolish slavery and its trade throughout the British Empire. He introduced numerous bills to Parliament in the 18th and early 19th centuries, all of which were defeated. In hopes of persuading the British government to support abolition, Wilberforce and his fellow abolitionists scoured England, collecting evidence of the slave trade’s crimes. As part of this effort, Wilberforce collected 390,000 signatures from British citizens in support of the anti-slavery cause. Finally, after 20 years of struggle, Wilberforce saw the end of the British slave trade when his 1807 abolition bill passed by a large majority. Twenty-six years later, just three days before his death, slavery was abolished across all British colonies as well. Despite chronic illness and repeated defeat of his anti-slavery bills in Parliament, Wilberforce persisted in his mission to abolish injustice in the world. For his abiding courage and conviction, Wilberforce earned the title, “conscience of Parliament.”
Below is the last letter ever written by John Wesley before his death. The last letter that John Wesley wrote was to William Wilberforce, a man who had been converted under Wesley’s ministry and who was a member of Parliament. The letter concerns his opposition to slavery and encouragement for Wilberforce to take action for change :
Balam, February 24, 1791
Dear Sir:
Unless the divine power has raised you us to be as Athanasius contra mundum (Athanasius against the world – for those who may have problems with Latin .. haha), I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be fore you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it.
Reading this morning a tract wrote by a poor African, I was particularly struck by that circumstance that a man who has a black skin, being wronged or outraged by a white man, can have no redress; it being a “law” in our colonies that the oath of a black against a white goes for nothing. What villainy is this?
That he who has guided you from youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and all things, is the prayer of, dear sir,
Your affectionate servant,
John Wesley
Today in the 21st Century, in an era of globalisation, development and technology, one would think that the human race is advancing in the areas of freedom, peace and human dignity. Unfortunately this is not so. On 25th March 2007, we commemorated ‘FREEDOM DAY’ marking the 200th anniversary of the ‘Abolition of the Slave Trade’, and yet there are more slaves TODAY than were seized from Africa in 4 centuries of trans-Atlantic slave trade. The horror is back. Buying a slave is cheaper than ever before.
Every minute, every day, men, women and children are being transported, used or sold against their will. These are the victims of trafficking. They get herded across borders, across continents, sometimes in groups but they are often trafficked alone. They live in terror. Others watch their every move. They are treated like cattle. But the truth is, they’re not just a statistic. These are people – someone’s mother, someone’s child – and they’re dreaming of freedom.
It is a modern day slavery involving victims who are forced, defrauded, or coerced into labour or sexual exploitation. Victims of human trafficking pay a horrible price. Psychological and physical harm, including disease and stunted growth, often have permanent effects.
The UN and other experts estimate the total market value of illicit human trafficking at $32 billion, about $10 billion derived from the initial “sale” of individuals, with the remainder representing the estimated profits from the activities or goods produced by the victims of this barbaric crime. It is closely connected with money laundering, drug trafficking, document forgery and human smuggling.
In short, the human person has become a commodity to be bought, sold, resold, used and discarded like a piece of tissue. It is a modern day slavery, the most dehumanising crime and one of the gravest form of violations of human rights.
See Also
- 21st Century Slavery in Malaysia (2)
- The Malaysian Scene - 21st Century Slavery in Malaysia (3)
- Real Stories - 21st Century Slavery in Malaysia (4)
- What We Can Do
