Iqbal Masih

Iqbal Masih, Urdu: اقبال مسیح (b. 1983, d. 16 April 1995) was a Pakistani child who became a symbol of abusive child labor in the developing world.

Childhood

Iqbal was born in 1983 in Arshad, a very small, rural village outside of Lahore in Pakistan. He was sold into bondage by his family at a young age; to pay for his brother's wedding, Iqbal's family borrowed 600 rupees (about $12) from a local employer who owned a carpet weaving buisness, and in return, Iqbal was required to work as a carpet weaver until the debt was paid off. Every day, he would rise before dawn and make his way along dark country roads to the factory, where he and most of the other children were tightly bound with chains to prevent escape. He would work 14 hours a day, seven days a week, with only a 30-minute break. Iqbal stood less than 4 feet tall and weighed only 60 pounds.

Escape and activism

At the age of 10, Iqbal escaped his slavery, but he was caught by police and brought back to Arshad. Soon after, the police were bribed and Iqbal was sent back to work again. Iqbal escaped a second time and later joined the Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF) of Pakistan to help stop child labor around the world. Iqbal helped over 3,000 Pakistani children that were in bonded labour escape to freedom, and he made speeches about child labour throughout the world.

Death

Iqbal was fatally shot in Muridke on April 16, 1995, shortly after returning from a trip to America. He was aged 11 at the time. Some say that he was shot by a startled farmer, and some say that he was murdered because of his influence over the issue of bonded labor. His funeral was attended by approximately 800 mourners.

Legacy

Iqbal's cause inspired the creation of organizations such as Free The Children, a Canada-based charity and youth movement, and the Iqbal Masih Shaheed Children Foundation, which has started over 20 schools in Pakistan. In January 2009, the United States Congress established the annual Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor.

In 1994, Iqbal visited Broad Meadows Middle School in Quincy, Massachusetts, and spoke to 7th graders about his life. When the students learned of his death, they decided to raise money and build a school in his honor in Pakistan.

Iqbal's story was told in a book entitled Iqbal by Francesco D'Adamo, a fictional story based on true events, from the point of view of a girl named Fatima.

External links

• "Who Was Iqbal Masih?" mirrorimage.com.
• Gannon, Kathy (May 31, 1995). "Young Activist's Death Hits Pakistani Carpet Sales". Los Angeles Times.