The people portrayed here in Pakistan are called Sheedis. The Sheedis are the descendants of enslaved Africans in Pakistan. Originally they are from East Africa and the Horn of Africa. In India related groups are called Siddis and Habshis while in Sri Lanka they are called Kaffirs. I suspect that there is a history of similar groups in Myanmar. Everybody knows about the crime called the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. But very few people talk about the transport and enslavement of African people in Southwest and South Asia.
Runoko Rashidi
