An Egyptian journalist publicly argued freed slaves deserved land and entrepreneurial futures

Evidence

This was a daring and singular suggestion on al-Nadïm’s part, asking the Egyptian government to take responsibility for the futures of the men and women formerly enslaved by Egyptians. He also recognized, in this dialogue, how difficult it was for freed slaves, especially women, to find places for themselves in society. Much to Sa´id’s annoyance, Bakhïta cannot stop referring to her previous “masters,” even as her friend tries to get her to see them as simply the wealthy class (jamä`a al-aghniyä), who could create new entrepreneurs out of their former slaves. Sa´id envisions the freed slaves as storekeepers and contractors with their own teams of workers. He imagines Sudanese working in a wide range of occupations, not only as the servants many had been for so long. — Eve M. Troutt Powell, A Different Shade of Colonialism_…, 685

Categorization

• SEED: The dialogue as a published device to force citizen deliberation is an interesting angle for a piece on how reformist media staged public debate in colonial Egypt.