A Iqbal Masih snatched the child when he began working with only four years and stripped him of youth and maturity when he was assassinated with just 12 on the 16th of April 1995.
In memory of this child from Pakistan who spoke up against the exploitation of the weakest is celebrated this Saturday across the world the world day against child slavery.
was just four years old when his father in exchange for a loan to pay for the wedding of his eldest son Iqbal decided to give the small to the owner of a carpet factory. Just started working 12 hours a day to pay off family debt, but over time the debt is not only not diminished but increased with interest and with new loans that his father asked.
In 1992, five years after he began his particular hell, Ehsan Iqbal knew Khan, an activist who fought to end slavery conditions at work. Following his example, and not so small Pakistani began to denounce the deplorable working conditions in which many children as he worked in the carpet weaving, becoming a hero to them.
But his activism began soon be a hindrance to the businessmen who profited child labor and April 16, 1995 His voice trailed off for good after being shot while riding a bike safely.
his murderers (the carpet mafia was blamed for the crime) killed him but not his legacy and Iqbal remains today a symbol of the fight against child exploitation.
Unfortunately, there are still many small world Iqbal, mostly in depressed regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Days
marathon 15 hours
According to recent data released by Unicef \u200b\u200bthis month, 158 million children between 5 and 14 years working every day in marathon sessions of up to 15 hours a day where hardly see the light of the sun, exposed to exploitation and abuse. A figure somewhat lower than that managed by the International Labour Office (ILO) in its latest report, dated 2010, speaks of 215 million children. Some data
not share many NGOs that criticize the warmth of UNICEF and ILO to discuss child labor when in fact, in his view, the term that best defines the situations faced by many of these little ones is that of slavery. So talk of 400 child slaves and remember how many were tortured, others suffer deformities or stop growing by the harsh living conditions in daily or become domestic workers that are worth less than any animal or prostitutes or are married to the force. Nor do they forget the child soldiers or those subjected to forced labor in mines or in agriculture or working children like Iqbal to pay the debts of their parents.
In Spain the situation is not idyllic. As recalled by Save the Children, trafficking is the main form of child slavery in our country. "Spain is a country of transit and destination for children and adolescent victims of trafficking for labor exploitation and sexual exploitation," said Yolanda Román, head of Advocacy of the organization, He adds: "Between 40 and 60% of two and a half million victims of trafficking are children."
been 16 years since silenced the voice of Pakistani Iqbal, but his memory is still very much alive.
(From THE MUNDO.ES)
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