Bacha Bazi: Pedophilia and child trafficking

Be Sure to VOTE This up for Awareness this has to be known so everyone can stop this form of slavery and child abuse and molestation.


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Bacha Bazi: Pedophilia and child trafficking justified by the tradition in Afghanistan

For some people, when you think of Afghanistan, you think of war zone and their loved ones who are serving the country in a deserted soil. For others, the country reminds them of stringent Muslim ethics, by which both adulterers or homosexuals are strictly forbidden. But, not many people are aware that the country still retains its 5000 years old tradition of enslaving boys for sexual exploitation. And the notorious tradition is called Bacha Bazi.

Bacha Bazi: the dancing boys

Bacha Bazi in an Afghan phrase means "boy play" or "boy for play." In Afghan culture, women including prostitutes and belly dancers are not allowed to dance in front of men. They are segregated, and they are not even allowed to attend parties among men. Therefore, when a warlords wants to hold a party, he goes to a local village and lure boys in the age of 12 or so with money or coercion. Once the exploiters lure the boys, the boys wear dress and makeup, and dance like women in front of their owners' friends or guests. When the party is over, the owners, usually warlords and military commenders, take the boys to their beds and sleep with them. Sometimes, they share their boys with their friends for sexual abuse.


The freedom brought to Afghan men at the expense of the boys

Currently, the Afghan soldiers, along with commenders and warlords, are primary exploiters of these boys. In fact, the Afghan soliders are taking local boys to their camps for the same exploitative purpose. They justify their misdeeds by saying that women are for babies and boys are for pleasure. They also say that Bacha Bazi is essential part of the culture of free Afghanistan because it was strictly forbidden under Taliban regime. One solider, during the interview, said that Bacha bazi is as widely accepted custom as heroin usage among the Afghan soldiers. He said that 70% of the Army is participating in the Bacha bazi practice.

Failed deterrence

The Afghan government outlawed Bacha bazi practice for its obviously exploitative nature. The international community was outraged when CNN shed the light on such atrocity. Even the UN authority said that the Afghan government must do more to end Bacha bazi practice in the region. However, police men, more often than not, are not strong enough to prosecute the warlords or the exploiters of the boys. The human rights of the boys is not the government's first priority either, given that the country is still economically and politically very unstable. Prosecutors also blame on policemen for not being able to arrest exploiters for their failure of deterring the crime

Democracy building: epic failed?

The general attitude of the Afghans towards Bacha bazi is such that " it's been there fore 1000 years" and they don't feel the needs to raise the issues now. One owner of a dancing boy said that it is his hobby. He said that even though he is married and have children, he loves his boy more than his wife. He also said that it is his culture and the culture of Afghan. Clearly, his argument aligns with the principle of cultural relativism and individual freedom that the west has advocated around the world. But, perhaps the west should have but forgot to give them the instruction that the freedom and democracy come with self-governance and responsibility. And the instruction should have come before we have decided to build ( supposedly) democracy in their country. Evidently, the dancing boys love their owners, and they desire to be one of them once they grow up. But, when you advocate cultural relativism and they argue that it's their culture, what do you tell them?