However, reforms to Afghanistan’s penal code in 2018 have done little to stem the abuse. US foreign affairs analyst Mondloch argues that the only way to combat the bacha bazi tradition is to “modernise Afghanistan’s rule of law system”. The chair of the Independent Human Rights Commission, Shaharzad Akbar, told the paper that as well as a “global culture of shame of the abused”, Afghanistan also has a culture of “moving people with allegations to different offices or provinces as a form of ‘punishment’”. The Guardian reports that while Afghan authorities and non-governmental organisations are aware of the plight of the bacha boys, both “seem powerless to stop it”. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Writing for Foreign Policy, Mondloch says: “Demeaning and damaging, the widespread subculture of paedophilia in Afghanistan constitutes one of the most egregious ongoing violations of human rights in the world.”Īccording to The New York Times, US troops stationed with allied Afghan forces to fight against the Taliban were “instructed not to intervene” in the abuse of young boys.įormer Special Forces captain Dan Quinn told the paper that he was relieved of his command after beating up a US-backed militia commander for keeping a boy chained to his bed as a sex slave. But many struggle to throw off the stigma of having been a bacha boy and to cope with the psychological effects of the abuse they have suffered. The Guardian says the boys are usually “released at the age of 19, when they can get married and reclaim their status as ‘male’”. The newspaper says that according to the social norms of Afghanistan’s Pashtun culture, “ bacha bazi is not un-Islamic or homosexual at all - if the man does not love the boy, the sexual act is not reprehensible, and is far more ethical than defiling a woman”. Yet the practice is not seen as homosexuality, The Independent reports. The boys are owned by single or married men, who keep them in a form of sexual slavery, like concubines. They are “often made to dress as females wear make-up”, he adds.īoy performs at a party in an unidentified location in Afghanistan In an article for Foreign Policy magazine, US Department of State analyst Chris Mondlock says the so-called bacha boys - many of whom have been kidnapped or bought from their families - are forced to perform as dancers at private parties and weddings. However, “it has crept back and is now widespread, flourishing in the cities, including the capital, Kabul”, according to The Guardian. The practice was banned under the Taliban, who implemented a strict form of sharia law. The abuse of young boys in Afghanistan is systemic under the centuries-old tradition of bacha bazi, which literally translates as “boy for play”. Government officials said the Ministry of Education is also drafting a school security plan to deal with issues including how to tackle child abuse claims. “We are in the process of running a comprehensive, impartial investigation,” the spokesperson said. The pair were held by the intelligence agency for several days and were only released after “publicly denying their findings”, according to the newspaper.įollowing an international outcry over the reports, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office this week announced that a committee has been appointed to look into the allegations. The Guardian reports that the two activists who revealed the abuse featured in the videos have since been forced to leave the country with their families.īoth received death threats before publishing their research, and were detained by the National Directorate of Security. The Facebook page at the centre of the allegations was exposed by civil society organisation the Logar Youth, Social and Civil Institution.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |