---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The worst form of slavery is when the…"
description: "\"The worst form of slavery is when the slave believes he is free. This is how women under Islam feel.\" — Wafa Sultan"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/wafa-sultan-31221_believe_the-worst-form-of-slavery-is-when-the-sl_1215610.jpg"
---

#  The worst form of slavery is when the slave believes he is…

![“The worst form of slavery is when the slave believes he is free. This is how women under Islam feel.” quote by Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/wafa-sultan-31221_believe_the-worst-form-of-slavery-is-when-the-sl_1215610.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/wafa-sultan-31221_believe_the-worst-form-of-slavery-is-when-the-sl_1215610.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/wafa-sultan-31221_believe_the-worst-form-of-slavery-is-when-the-sl_1215610.jpg)

> “The worst form of slavery is when the slave believes he is free. This is how women under Islam feel.”

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Freedom is an illusion when people accept oppression as liberty, especially under certain religious interpretations that limit women.

**In simple terms:** False freedom under oppression.

Key Takeaway

Question accepted norms.

Themes

freedom oppression religion

Mood

critical thought‑provoking

Type

social political

When to use this quote

- women's rights
- education
- legal reform
- cultural dialogue

Key Concepts

feminism critical theory

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines true freedom?
- How can societies protect women within cultural frameworks?

A Different Perspective

Not all religious contexts are identical; overgeneralization can occur.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/)

## Related quotes

> [“I had rather starve to death here, being a free man, than to have plenty in slavery. I cannot be a slave any more,--nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-drew/i-had-rather-starve-to-death-here-being-a-free-man-than-to-have/)

Benjamin Drew

> [People are drawn to radical Islam because they feel their traditional ways of life threatened by the influx of KFC and Hollywood movies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/people-are-drawn-to-radical-islam-because-they-feel-their-traditional/)

[Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/)

> [We're all slaves to death is our biological curse and thus a form of slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/we-re-all-slaves-to-death-is-our-biological-curse-and-thus-a-form-of/)

[Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/)

> [Free yourself from one passion to be dominated by another and nobler one. But is not that, too, a form of slavery? To sacrifice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/free-yourself-from-one-passion-to-be-dominated-by-another-and-nobler/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [Yielding to Jesus will break every form of slavery in any human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/yielding-to-jesus-will-break-every-form-of-slavery-in-any-human-life/)

[Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/)

> [Some people try to get you out of slavery for you to be their slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/some-people-try-to-get-you-out-of-slavery-for-you-to-be-their-slave/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

> [The most onerous slavery is to be a slave to oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/the-most-onerous-slavery-is-to-be-a-slave-to-oneself/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [TRUTH: When a child believes he must win to be worthy, when young adults define themselves by what they do and not who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/truth-when-a-child-believes-he-must-win-to-be-worthy-when-young/)

[Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/)

> [. . . what a burning shame it is that many of the pieces on the subject of slavery and the slave trade, contained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-purvis/what-a-burning-shame-it-is-that-many-of-the-pieces-on-the-subject-of/)

[Robert Purvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-purvis/)

> [In most places, when people hear about or see something that is a symbol or representation or evidence of slavery or the slave trade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-stevenson/in-most-places-when-people-hear-about-or-see-something-that-is-a/)

[Bryan Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-stevenson/)

> [To make your life being a writer, it's an auto-slavery ... you are both the slave and the task-master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/to-make-your-life-being-a-writer-it-s-an-auto-slavery-you-are-both/)

[Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/)

> [To be obsessed by the idea of freedom, for instance, is itself a form of slavery. Such people are in the chains of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/to-be-obsessed-by-the-idea-of-freedom-for-instance-is-itself-a-form/)

[Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/)

> [“Perhaps the mildest form of the system of slavery is to be seen in the State of Kentucky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/perhaps-the-mildest-form-of-the-system-of-slavery-is-to-be-seen-in/)

[Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/)

> [The private control of credit is the modern form of slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/the-private-control-of-credit-is-the-modern-form-of-slavery/)

[Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/)

> [It would be well for those interested to reflect whether there now exists, or ever has existed, a wealthy and civilized community in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-calhoun/it-would-be-well-for-those-interested-to-reflect-whether-there-now/)

[John C. Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-calhoun/)

## More by Wafa Sultan

> [“Why does a young Muslim, in the prime of life, with a full life ahead, go and blow himself up in a bus full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/why-does-a-young-muslim-in-the-prime-of-life-with-a-full-life-ahead/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [Western intellectual Islamologists have totally failed in their duties as intellectuals. They have betrayed their calling by abandoning their critical faculties when it comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/western-intellectual-islamologists-have-totally-failed-in-their/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [A culture that doesn't respect half its population will never prosper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/a-culture-that-doesn-t-respect-half-its-population-will-never-prosper/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [“First, why you deny to others what you allow (make halal) to yourselves. When you blast from the minarets (loudspeakers) of your mosques, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/first-why-you-deny-to-others-what-you-allow-make-halal-to-yourselves/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [Only the Muslims defend their beliefs by burning down churches, killing people and destroying embassies. This path will not yield any results. The Muslims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/only-the-muslims-defend-their-beliefs-by-burning-down-churches/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [“This is not true, you give yourself the right to adopt a religion that orders you to kill others, and you say, this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/this-is-not-true-you-give-yourself-the-right-to-adopt-a-religion-that/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [The problem with Christians is they aren't as good as Jesus. But thank God most Muslims are better than Muhammad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/the-problem-with-christians-is-they-aren-t-as-good-as-jesus-but-thank/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [No one can be a true Muslim and a true American simultaneously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/no-one-can-be-a-true-muslim-and-a-true-american-simultaneously/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [A woman's paradise is under her husband's foot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/a-woman-s-paradise-is-under-her-husband-s-foot/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [Brother, you can believe in stones, as long as you don't throw them at me. You are free to worship whoever you want, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/brother-you-can-believe-in-stones-as-long-as-you-don-t-throw-them-at/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [Without criticism of Islam, Islam will remain unassailed in its dogmatic, fanatical, medieval fortress; ossified, totalitarian and intolerant. It will continue to stifle thought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/without-criticism-of-islam-islam-will-remain-unassailed-in-its/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [“Before you ask others to respect your beliefs, you have to respect their beliefs. Do you respect others beliefs when you recite and blast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/before-you-ask-others-to-respect-your-beliefs-you-have-to-respect/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [Telling the truth after proper investigation is the height of courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/telling-the-truth-after-proper-investigation-is-the-height-of-courage/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [The trouble with Islam is deeply rooted in its teachings. Islam is not only a religion. Islam (is) also a political ideology that preaches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/the-trouble-with-islam-is-deeply-rooted-in-its-teachings-islam-is-not/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

> [We have not seen a single Jew blow himself up in a German restaurant. We have not seen a single Jew destroy a church.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/we-have-not-seen-a-single-jew-blow-himself-up-in-a-german-restaurant/)

[Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

[Explore all 16 Wafa Sultan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/)

## More Believe quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/)

[Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/)

[Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/)

> [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The worst form of slavery is when the slave believes he is free. This is how women under Islam feel.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Wafa Sultan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/the-worst-form-of-slavery-is-when-the-slave-believes-he-is-free-this/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Believe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/the-worst-form-of-slavery-is-when-the-slave-believes-he-is-free-this/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/wafa-sultan-31221_believe_the-worst-form-of-slavery-is-when-the-sl_1215610.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/wafa-sultan-31221_believe_the-worst-form-of-slavery-is-when-the-sl_1215610.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/wafa-sultan-31221_believe_the-worst-form-of-slavery-is-when-the-sl_1215610.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The worst form of slavery is when the slave believes he is free. This is how women under Islam feel.” — Wafa Sultan",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Wafa Sultan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The worst form of slavery is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/the-worst-form-of-slavery-is-when-the-slave-believes-he-is-free-this/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/the-worst-form-of-slavery-is-when-the-slave-believes-he-is-free-this/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
