Iqbal Masih

Iqbal Masih (Urdu: اقبال مسیح) (b. 1982 - April 16, 1995), was a young Pakistani Christian boy who was forced into bonded labour in a carpet factory at the age of four, became an international figurehead for the Bonded Labour Liberation Front at the age of 10 after he escaped from servitude, and was murdered with a 12 gauge shotgun at the age of 12. David L.Barker wrote Stolen Dreams: Portraits of Working Children, in which he described the life of child labor and Iqbal Masih.

Early life and labour

Iqbal Masih was born in 1982, in a very small, rural village outside of Lahore in Pakistan. Shortly after Iqbal's birth, his father, Saif Masih, abandoned the family. Iqbal's mother, Inayat, worked as a house cleaner, Iqbal's brother Aslam wanted to get married so he toke 600 rupees (12 dollars) from a local money lender Hussain Khan. To pay off his debt, he sent his 4 year old brother into child labor, working for Hussain Khan. Iqbal also worked in carpet factories and was fed little food and water. They fed him little, so his fingers wouldn't grow, and the smaller his fingers the easier he could work the looms. Iqbal was very skillful at carpet making; he was one of the best out of the whole carpet factory. All of the children in that carpet factory became united as a group. The mistress was very cruel, as she always scolded and threatened the children. At first, Iqbal cut the carpet he was making. He ended up staying in the Tomb for 3 days. The Tomb was an old cistern, buried under the courtyard, closed by a grating at the foot of a damp, slippery stairway leading up to the iron door. There was no light down there. They were chained to their looms so they could not escape from their master Hussian Khan. Iqbal's best friend is Fatima.

Escape and activism

At the age of 10, he escaped brutal slavery. In his rough escape he was caught by police and brought back to Hussain Khan soon after the police were bribed and Iqbal was sent back to work again and later joined the BLLF (Bonded Labor Liberation Front 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 made speeches about child labour throughout the world. Iqbal's story later became a book. Template:Mack

Death

Shortly after returning from his trip to America, Iqbal was fatally shot in Muridke on April 16, 1995.

Legacy

In January 2009, the United States Congress established the annual Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor.

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 built a school in his honor in Pakistan.

Iqbal's cause and created the organization Free The Children.

Iqbal's story was told by his friend in the child labour Fatima, who was not there as long as Iqbal was but went through the same things.

External links

• "Who Was Iqbal Masih?" mirrorimage.com. accessed October 3, 2011.
• Gannon, Kathy (31 May 1995). "LA Times on Iqbal Masih". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 27 2011. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)