May 28, 2012  Mauritania: Human Rights Activists Accuse Islamic
Jurisdiction of Legitimizing Slavery  By Anna Mahjar-Barducci
Recently, the issue of slavery has taken center stage in
Mauritania.  In the beginning of May, a Mauritanian human rights
organization decided to reopen the debate by denouncing the
continued existence of slaves in the country.  To get people's
attention, this organization burned books of the Islamic Maliki
school of jurisprudence, prevailing in Mauritania, claiming that
they provide a religious justification for continuing slavery.
 The act of burning books took place at the end of a special
prayer for slaves, which emphasized their right to lead Muslims
in prayer.  However, the burning of the books sparked fury among
the public.  Demonstrations erupted throughout the country in
condemnation of what was perceived as an affront to Islam.  As a
consequence, the anti-slavery movement apologized to the
Mauritanians for the burning of the Maliki books and explained
that this was a symboli