Peace again Brother Fahim and all. I realized I
failed to address one of your questions, the acuarcy of
the T.H.E.M.'s teaching on Sir John Hardy Hawkins.
Let me quote our brother and scholar John G Jackson
from his "Ages of Gold and Silver," p. 223: "The
African slave trade started in the middle of the
fifteenth century as a result of the explorations of Prince
Henry of Portugal...Then came the British dominance.
THE ENGLISH TRADE WAS ORGANIZED BY SIR JOHN HAWKINS
(1532-1595), WHO ASSEMBLED A FLEET OF EIGHT SHIPS...QUEEN
ELIZABETH DONATED THE GOOD SHIP JESUS...Captain Hawkins
ordered his sailors to "serve God daily and love one
another." Hawkins was granted a coat of arms - an African
slave, bound and captive." I hoPe this too
helps.<Peace.>True Islam