The enslavement of Native Americans was originally meant to be an enslavement of Muslims

The enslavement of Native Americans was originally meant to be an enslavement of Muslims


Pope Nicholas V wrote the papal letter Dum Diversas in 1452, before the time of Columbus.

In it, he wrote:

We grant you by these present documents, with our Apostolic Authority, full and free permission to invade, search out, capture, and subjugate the Saracens and pagans and any other unbelievers and enemies of Christ wherever they may be, as well as their kingdoms, duchies, counties, principalities, and other property [...] and to reduce their persons into perpetual servitude.



The word ''Saracens'' means Muslims. He gave the Spanish Empire the permission to enslave and subjugate all Muslims.

However, that is not what happened.

Instead of enslaving Muslim lands, thry discovered America and enslaved the native peoples there who practiced indigenous religions. This wasn't really necessary, nay, it was unfortunate, and it is due to a confusion between brown-skinned Natives and Brown-skinned Muslims.

So it was an error.

On the face of it though, if the Spanish really had enslaved and subjugated the Muslims, instead of the native americans, there would not be daily terrorist attacks today and the ISIS jihadists would have never been born.

So the objective of enslaving and forcibly converting Muslims was a good one still. It made sense at the time and I can imagine that some people think it would still make sense today.