This is going to be somewhat long.
The problem with these discussions is that they tend to be full of exaggerations, emotionalism and propaganda. Almost none of them are nuanced and sober. Take the claim that "Islam is oppressive to the black man and caused slavery". There is so much overly simplistic BS wrapped into that one statement that deconstructing it requires a lot of energy.
1)When discussing the subject of slavery of Islam, it is necessary to make two very important distinctions:
- Slavery as it is regulated in the actual legal texts
- Slavery as it was practised by the Omani/Yemeni sultanates that raided the East African coast.
According to the actual legal regulations, raiding people for the sole purpose of acquiring slaves is strictly impermissible. The texts of Islam took a strong stance against this. It says in a hadeeth qudsi:
“Allaah, may He be exalted, said: ‘There are three whose opponent I will be on the Day of Resurrection, and whomever I oppose, I will defeat … A man who sold a free man and consumed his price.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2227). However, the texts do allow for captives of war to become enslaved. This should be seen in the context of how the world was organized at the time of the revelation. Back then, there were countless ways in which a man could end up in slavery. Kidnapping, being in debt, one could be born into a slavery etc.. All of these avenues were closed and only one was left open: captives of war. Even then, the children of such captives would automatically be born free. The slaves received salaries and could buy their freedom. They were not to be overburdened and they were to wear the same quality of clothes as their masters. So in regulating slavery at the time, the ways through which one could end up becoming a slave were drastically reduced and the avenues through which a slave could attain freedom were increased. Freeing of slaves is in fact an expiation for many sins.
For the above reasons, modern legal scholars have deduced from the legal texts that the objective of the Shar'iah was to phase out slavery entirely. They see the fact that the institution of slavery no longer exists (at least not in the same form as before and not as prevalent) as a blessing and they argue that re-instituting that system is against the objectives of the Shari'ah.
Also, maiming of human beings is strictly forbidden as a general rule and that includes slaves. Castrating slaves, branding them with iron, cutting off their limbs etc is strictly forbidden.
Now, what I've mentioned so far is how slavery was originally practised by the early Muslims. They followed the legal texts more closely.
However, in the later centuries of the Islamic civilization, certain rulers (Ottomans, Omani and Yemeni sultanates mostly) began adopting certain practises that were illegal from an Islamic perspective. Pay close attention to this: just because rulers did something, this does not mean that it was sanctioned by or justifiable according to the religion! This is a very important point. The practise of raiding certain countries specifically for the purpose of acquiring slaves is strictly forbidden and there is no debate about this, as is the practise of castrating male slaves (this practise seems to have been introduced to the Ottomans through contact with the Italians by the way).
Stating that Islam caused the East African slave trade is thus categorically false since the actual legal texts of Islam forbid what took place in the EA slave trade (raiding villages for the purpose of acquiring slaves; maiming slaves, etc).
2) The statement that Islam is "anti-black" is categorically false. The primary texts as well as all the major schools of thought are unequivocally anti-racism and anti-tribalism. Were there certain latter scholars that made some problematic statements? Of course. Are we supposed to follow them blindly like sheep? Absolutely not.
Allah says about mankind in the Qur'an:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
O people, We have created you male and female and made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most noble of you to Allah is the most righteous of you. Verily, Allah is knowing and aware.
Surat Al-Hujurat 49:13
Human diversity is one of God's Signs:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْعَالِمِينَ
Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Verily, in that are signs for people of knowledge.
Surat Ar-Rum 30:22
The Prophet pbuh stated:
نَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى خَلَقَ آدَمَ مِنْ قَبْضَةٍ قَبَضَهَا مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْأَرْضِ فَجَاءَ بَنُو آدَمَ عَلَى قَدْرِ الْأَرْضِ فَجَاءَ مِنْهُمْ الْأَحْمَرُ وَالْأَبْيَضُ وَالْأَسْوَدُ وَبَيْنَ ذَلِكَ وَالسَّهْلُ وَالْحَزْنُ وَالْخَبِيثُ وَالطَّيِّبُ
Verily, Allah the Exalted created Adam from a handful which He took from the earth, so the children of Adam come in accordance with the earth. Some come with red skin, white skin, or black skin and whatever is in between: thin, thick, dirty, and clean.
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2955, Grade:
Sahih
The Prophet PBUH reinforced this massage:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَلَا إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنَّ أَبَاكُمْ وَاحِدٌ أَلَا لَا فَضْلَ لِعَرَبِيٍّ عَلَى أَعْجَمِيٍّ وَلَا لِعَجَمِيٍّ عَلَى عَرَبِيٍّ وَلَا لِأَحْمَرَ عَلَى أَسْوَدَ وَلَا أَسْوَدَ عَلَى أَحْمَرَ إِلَّا بِالتَّقْوَى أَبَلَّغْتُ
O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no virtue of an Arab over a foreigner nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin nor black skin over white skin, except by righteousness. Have I not delivered the message?
Source: Musnad Ahmad 22978, Grade:
Sahih
لَيْسَ لأَحَدٍ عَلَى أَحَدٍ فَضْلٌ إِلا بِالدِّينِ أَوْ عَمَلٍ صَالِحٍ حَسْبُ الرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَكُونَ فَاحِشًا بَذِيًّا بَخِيلا جَبَانًا
No one is better than anyone else except by religion or good deeds. It is sufficient evil for a man to be profane, vulgar, greedy, or cowardly.
Source: Shu’b al-Iman 4767, Grade:
Sahih
The primary texts categorically state that there is no preference for white skin over black skin and vice versa. God does not look at the shapes and colors of humanity, He looks at their hearts and their actions. This is stated in another narration by the Prophet PBUH.
However, this does not mean that there is no racism amongst Muslims. Anyone who makes such a statement is an idiot, there clearly is. And although slavery was not based on a color code historically, in modern times the stigma of "slavery" has been attached to "blackness", thanks to modern Western conceptions of race.