The Mahdi Times The Mahdi Times July 2014 | Page 85

These tribes of Afro-Arabians had so
consolidated their power that by the
16th century, the clans of Ka’ab son of
Rabia of the Banu Amir bin Za’za’a
began moving to Iran from Iraq and
settled in the Khuzestan region of
Southern Iran close to Iraq.
George Rawlinson a 19th century
European traveller, who passed through
the region and described the Cha’b (also
called in recent times Chub, Ka’ab, Kub)
and Montefik bin Uqayl Arabs in Iraq
and Khuzestan as “nearly black” and
having the dark “copper” complexion of
the “Galla Ethiopians” and other
Abyssinians.
Thus we see that in the late 19th
century, a group of Afro-Arabian tribes
were well established and living in the
region of Khuzestan, Iran and around
the Persian Gulf as well as Basra, and
the Shott al Arab in Iraq. There were
known variously as Kaab, (Cha’ab or
Chub), Kuleib, Al Muntafik (or Afek),
Khuza’il, Khafajah, Uqayl or Aqil, and
Jada.
Many of these men are the clearly
documented descendants of the Beni
Amir bin Sa’sa’a of the Hawazin bin
Mansour. They were described until the
20th century as “near black” in color,
tall and strongly built. In Iran they are
called the “Tsiab”. Many of their
descendants live there even today still
black in complexion.
This group of Black Iraqis are thus the
remaining elements of the pure and
original house of Arabia, which rose in
ancient times from the Mountains of

Ethiopia and migrated onto Iraqi and
Khuzestan.

The Zenji of Basra
There was another smaller group of
Black people, non-Muslims in outlook
and practice, who settled in Iraq as
victims of forced labour otherwise
known as slavery. They were known as
the Zenji, from the land of Zanjnia (close
to modern Tanzania). However it must
be emphasized that there were also a
great multitude of free Zenjis who had
voluntarily settled in the Gulf.
The Zenji concentrated around Basra
and lived co-harmoniously with their
Arabian hosts. Some Zenjis worked on
the plantations around Basra, doing the
hard labour, while others were free
traders and landowners. The Zenji took
over Basra following an insurrection
which took place in the mid-800s. The
Zenji then ruled Basra for about 15
years, until the Islamic caliph sent
troops. Many of the rebels were
massacred, and others were sold to the
Arab tribes.
Some under currents of racialism that
one finds in present day Islamic
societies developed from the fear and
post-traumatic stress of the reign of the
Zenji in Iraq.

The Moors
Many other Black people in Iraqi came
as sailors, traders, immigrants or
pilgrims who decided to remain in Iraq.
They came especially during the era of