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Afghanistan: Boys forced into prostitution ignored by media, world
Submitted by Matt on Fri, 2009-10-30 16:40
Article here. Excerpt:
'Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A young boy dressed in women's clothing, his face caked in make-up, dances the night away for a crowd of men.
...
The boy is but one youth among many throughout the country forced into an age-old underground tradition known as "bacha bazi," or "boy play," in which young boys are taken from their families, made to dance and used as sex slaves by powerful men. The number of boys involved is unknown -- the practice has been going on for centuries, in a country where such practices are overshadowed by conflict and war.
...
Farhad said that he was taken from a party by four police officers one night and almost gang raped at the station Before their commander walked in and stopped the assault. But then, "He said if I wanted to be set free I should give him my money and my mobile," Farhad said. "I had no real choice, so I gave him my money and mobile."
The boys said they are continuously threatened, beaten and raped by men who attend the parties they dance at; parties fueled by alcohol and drugs.
...
"We are not happy with this line of work," Jamel said. "We say that it would be better if God could just kill us rather than living like this."'
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Comments
Why doesn't the world care?
Why doesn't the world care? Because it is males doing it to other males. Although better not tell the feminists about this - they will say it is another example of "what's wrong with masculity."
-ax
The above statement by ax is 100% absolute truth
That's exactly it in a nutshell.
I could not agree more with you on that ax
How real is this?
This is another story coming from out of Afghanistan from a very controlled source. Obama needed a left-wing justification for continuing the conflict in the middle-east and along came the so called family laws that apparently oppressed the women. The world howled at the moon just like they were supposed to.
Every now and then, someone figures it would be a good idea to try the same thing only using kids as the victims. The world yawns.
Maybe it is true, but maybe it isn't. Men victimizing children is not a cultural norm in North America so I don't see much reason to believe that it is anywhere else in the world.
Maybe it is true, but maybe it isn't...
Ahem...The number of boys involved is unknown -- the practice has been going on for centuries...
What is more relevant is that it is the same old story: when males are the victims/sufferers, no one cares. The world weeps for 3rd world females forced into prostitution, but males likewise forced: "ho-hum." The world is enraged that little girls are denied education, but little boys conscripted as soldiers: "ho-hum." The world wrings its hands over women refugees, but what about the men who never got to be refugees because they were murdered wholesale, yep: "ho-hum."
I was wondering that myself
This fiction was probably created knowing it would pull people's "men are evil" strings.
It sounds almost as realistic as "millions of women are raped during wartime".
-ax
The number of boys involved is unknown -- the practice ha...
I'm not sure if that statement qualifies as compelling evidence. Like I said, I have no way of verifying what goes on in Afghanistan in this century let alone any other. As a cultural norm, male abuse on children is not consistent with anything I can reasonably assess for myself.
Hunchback may have been being tongue in cheek?
Hunchback, are you serious? If so, and it has been going on for centuries, why are we just now hearing of it?
As far as cultural norms, I would guess there is an evolutionary (i.e. innate) component as well, to adults having a particular disinclination to abuse kids. After all, there must be something existing, prior to that something being inculcated ('socialized'). Ultimately, culture (society) is the 'outcome' of the psychology of individuals.
Not that being raised by an abusive mother will never result in an abusive, [*]-pathic adult.
*insert your description of Hannibal Lecter.
-ax
Not tongue in cheek
Hunchback, are you serious? If so, and it has been going on for centuries, why are we just now hearing of it?
We are just hearing about it now because we are in Afghanistan now. Adults (male and female) have been prostituting children for millenia. Hey, they did it in Nam. What is new is that the prostitution of boys actually made the news. Usually only female victims get press.
The timing or motivation may be suspect, but I don't doubt the veracity of the report.
I agree with Hunchback
I don't think the story was posted to show the violence of the men, but was posted to show the plight of the boys and the fact that no one is doing anything to help them.
As far as I know, CNN is a credible source, and if you google the term 'bacha bazi' and you will find other news sources on this subject from the past few years.
I don't care what the numbers are; if it is 10 boys, 100, or 1000's. These boys need people to advocate for them.
Exploitative crimes against the poor, weak and vulnerable has been occurring since the beginning of time. I have no doubt that the practice can include sex crimes against boys.
I see this as similar to stories about prison rapes. From a men's rights perspective, it is not an issue as to wether men commit crimes against other men, but the issue is that the problem should be taken seriously and that males need protection against rape, and sex crimes just as females do.
I agree with Hunchback.
No women involved in this at all?
I find that hard to believe. Despite insistence from feminists that middle eastern societies are utterly controlled by men, that is just not true. Women have been involved in the trafficking of people of all ages and sexes for centuries in societies that either find this acceptable or don't.
The article is written as if men (And my "men" I mean "certain sick men", not every man in the country) are the only perps here. I can believe that they are a majority of those involved in this kind of disgusting abuse. But I can't believe they are exclusively involved in it.
Numbers matter
Even if it is one boy he needs someone to help him. But certainly there is a difference between a few boys and someone complaining of a massive epidemic.
As far as CNN, I cannot attribute much ethical status to a network that made sure a certain type of person (read 'white male') would not become president this time*. It's not so much the simple ability to verify information, but instead exactly how ideologically driven they are. The fact is that radical feminism has infiltrated the MSM to the point where it cannot be relied on to give impartial information. Anyone who has read Farell or Nathanson and Young knows this to be true.
*I realize Edwards screwed up later, but that is not the point.
-ax
Hunchback, haven't we been
Hunchback, haven't we been in Afghanistan for a while now? Certainly it had receeded to a visibility less than that of Iraq. Why didn't this come out when Afghanistan was number one in the news? The anti-American atmosphere was certainly ripe then - liberals were complaining about Hiroshima, Waco, and Wounded Knee (and no, I am not a conservative).
All the stuff you've said here doesn't amount to any evidence.
-ax
I was wondering the same thing - no women?
Remember, when this kind of thing happens, women are always ignored, by the media and other, as if they are 'ghosts' or innocent bystanders. Aren't the men married? Are their wives taking this in stride? Why have these women never said anything before? After all, women are peace-loving nurturing creatures.
Or, as is sometimes the case with prostitution in the U.S., are women involved but are in 'hands-off' positions - for example, maybe some of the ring-leaders or recruiters are female? If they are, what do you think the odds are we'll hear about that? sshhh....
-ax