Iqbal Masih
Iqbal Masih was a Pakistani Christian boy who became a symbol of abusive child labour in the developing world.
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the world’s sixth-most populous country with a population exceeding 212,742,631 people. In area, it is the 33rd-largest country, spanning 881,913 square kilometres. Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometr…
What has Iqbal Masih done?
Iqbal Masih (Punjabi: اقبال مسیح; 1983 – 16 April 1995) was a Pakistani child labourer and activist who campaigned against abusive child labour in Pakistan....Iqbal MasihKnown forAbolitionismAwardsReebok Human Rights Award (1994) World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child (2000) (posthumous)6 more rows
How did Iqbal change the world?
At the age of 10, he escaped the brutal slavery and later joined a Bonded Labor Liberation Front of Pakistan to help stop child labour around the world, and Iqbal helped over 3,000 Pakistani children that were in bonded labour, escape to freedom. Iqbal gave talks about child labour all around the world.Aug 10, 2017
What awards did Iqbal Masih win?
The Iqbal Masih Award was named after a Pakistani child who was sold into slavery as a carpet weaver at age 4, escaped at 10 and became an outspoken public advocate against child exploitation. In 1994 he received the Reebok Human Rights Award.
Why is Iqbal Masih regarded as a hero?
He was born in Pakistan in 1982 and he died when he was 12 years old. Iqbal Masih is a hero because he helped to free slaves in Pakistan.Mar 2, 2015
When was Iqbal Masih shot?
16th April 1995Iqbal Masih's Murder. On 16th April 1995, 25 kilometers from Lahore, in a village called Rakh Baoli, a 12-year-old boy was killed with buckshot fired from close range.
Where did Iqbal Masih live?
Iqbal Masih was born in Pakistan in 1982. He lived in Muridke, near Lahore. Iqbal was sold into slavery at a carpet factory at age four, and worked on looms until the age of 10, when he ran away from the factory and was eventually freed by Ehsan Ulla Khan, of the Bonded Labor Liberation Front, (BLLF).Jul 20, 2007
Why does Iqbal cut and destroy the blue carpet?
Why did Iqbal say he destroyed the rug? He knows the life they are living is wrong. Acts of defiance=power.
Who was the real Iqbal?
Muhammad IqbalAllama Sir Muhammad Iqbal Ktمحمد اقبالIqbal in 1933Born9 November 1877 Sialkot, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan)Died21 April 1938 (aged 60) Lahore, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan)14 more rows
Where did Fatima work?
Child Labor Under Hussain Khan Iqbal is a narrative that is told in the first-person by a child named Fatima, who is engaged in child labor in the home factory of Hussain Khan. Fatima and the 13 other children who work with her have been given to Khan in exchange for a debt that their parents owe him.Jan 6, 2022
What challenges did Iqbal Masih face?
He had endured hot, cramped conditions, air filled with wool debris and countless whippings, beatings, and cuttings whenever his work slowed. Though stunted by malnutrition and weakened by lack of exercise, Iqbal and a few of his friends escaped.Apr 20, 2011
How old was Iqbal Masih when he was sold?
four years oldIqbal Masih was four years old when his father sold him into slavery. He was forced to work more than twelve hours a day. He was constantly beaten, verbally abused, and chained to his loom by the carpet factory owner.
How old was Iqbal Masih when he died?
12 years (1983–1995)Iqbal Masih / Age at death
Who was Iqbal Masih?
Iqbal Masih was a Pakistani boy who fought against child labour until his death at the tender age of 12. When he was 4, he was sold by his parents to a carpet weaving company to work as a carpet weaver. In order to make sure he won’t escape, he and other children were kept tied to the chains.
Where was Iqbal Masih born?
Early Life. Iqbal Masih was born in a small village on the outskirts of Lahore , Pakistan, in 1983. His father was a poor labourer and abandoned the family after he became father to another boy, which meant another mouth to feed. Iqbal’s mother Inayat, who worked as a housecleaner, bore the responsibility of taking care of all her children, ...
Why did Iqbal and his children run away?
Iqbal took some other children with him and they all ran away, landing straight into a police station, only to land in the crib of poisonous corruption which was obvious through the way the police reacted. The uniformed corrupts handed Iqbal and other children over to his employer to get some money as a reward.
How old was Iqbal when he got his Reebok award?
With courage of more than an average man at a tender age of 12 , Iqbal still was a child at heart and loved watching cartoons on TV and when he went to the US to get his Reebok Human Rights Award, he got hooked to playing video games.
Why did the uniformed corrupts hand Iqbal and other children over to his employer?
The uniformed corrupts handed Iqbal and other children over to his employer to get some money as a reward. Iqbal’s punishment for escaping was extreme starvation and horrific beating sessions and time halted for the brave young boy as the suffering seemed unending.
How old was Iqbal when he started writing his own speeches?
His time in the school brought him in touch with many social activists and at the age of around 12 , Iqbal started writing his own speeches.
What school did Iqbal go to?
Iqbal had a strong desire of studying and he managed to get admission in the Bonded Labour Liberation Fund School and he was such a bright student that every teacher was impressed with him.
How did Iqbal Masih escape slavery?
The BLLF has worked dauntlessly for years to free thousands of bonded and child laborers, Iqbal among them. After working six years at a carpet loom, starting at the age of four, Iqbal was rescued by the BLLF when he was 10. Iqbal’s rescue was due in no small part to his own guts.
Why did Iqbal Masih get sold?
To pay for the wedding, Iqbal’s family borrowed 600 rupees (about $12) from a man who owned a carpet-weaving business. In return, Iqbal was required to work as a carpet weaver until the debt was paid off. Without being asked or consulted, Iqbal was sold into bondage by his family.
How did Iqbal escape the second time?
Because of his example, the other child slaves become less afraid of Hussain Khan and begin working together to help others. They bring food and water to Iqbal, save Maria from being sent to the Tomb and help Iqbal escape a second time.
What is the main conflict in Iqbal?
The conflict is Iqbal vs. Hussain Khan. I think that this is the conflict because in the book Iqbal is always trying to rat out Hussain Khan and free the chilren but Hussain is trying to contain and keep the children.
Why is Iqbal regarded as a hero?
He was born in Pakistan in 1982 and he died when he was 12 years old. Iqbal Masih is a hero because he helped to free slaves in Pakistan. At the factory Iqbal and the other children were treated like slaves. Iqbal worked till age 10 when he finally escaped.
How old is Iqbal Masih now?
Iqbal Masih Born 1983 Muridke, Punjab, Pakistan Died (aged 11–12) Muridke, Punjab, Pakistan Nationality Pakistani Organization Bandhua Mukti Morcha 3 more rows
What is bonded child labor?
Bonded labor – also known as debt bondage or peonage – designates the practice of pledging labor as payment or collateral on a debt. Child bonded labor refers to situations where a child’s labor services are offered in exchange for a loan.
What did Iqbal do after being freed?
After being freed at age ten, Iqbal became an activist against bonded child labor. He became a martyr for his cause when he was murdered at age 12.
Who helped Iqbal get free?
Shocked, Iqbal knew he wanted to be free. He talked to Eshan Ullah Khan, president of the BLLF, who helped him get the paperwork he needed to show his employer that he should be free. Not content to just be free himself, Iqbal worked to also get his fellow workers free.
What did Iqbal learn about the Bonded Labor Liberation Front?
After work, Iqbal snuck away to attend the meeting. At the meeting, Iqbal learned that the Pakistani government had outlawed peshgi in 1992.
Why was Iqbal required to work an entire year without wages?
Iqbal was required to work an entire year without wages in order to learn the skills of a carpet weaver.
How did Iqbal and the other bonded children do?
Iqbal and the other bonded children were required to squat on a wooden bench and bend forward to tie millions of knots into carpets. The children were required to follow a specific pattern, choosing each thread and tying each knot carefully. The children were not allowed to speak to each other.
How much did Iqbal get paid?
Iqbal often did these things and received numerous punishments. For all this, Iqbal was paid 60 rupees (about 20 cents) a day after his apprenticeship had ended.
How much did Iqbal's family borrow for his wedding?
To pay for the wedding, Iqbal's family borrowed 600 rupees (about $12) from a man who owned a carpet-weaving business. In return, Iqbal was required to work as a carpet weaver until the debt was paid off. Without being asked or consulted, Iqbal was sold into bondage by his family.
What did Iqbal's mother take out for his operation?
When his mother Anayat needs money for an operation, she took out a loan from a carpet factory owner. The loan, or ‘peshgi’, was in Iqbal’s name. That means that Iqbal owes Ghullah the 5000 rupees (ca 600 US dollars) that his mother’s operation cost.
When was Iqbal murdered?
Iqbal was threatened by the carpet factory owners and was murdered on 16 April 1995. He is a symbol for the struggle against child labour and in 2000, he received the first World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child posthumously (after his death). YouTube. World’s Children’s Prize. Subscribe.
Who is Iqbal Masih?
Background Information. The Iqbal Masih Award was named after a Pakistani child who was sold into slavery as a carpet weaver at age 4, escaped at 10 and became an outspoken public advocate against child exploitation. In 1994 he received the Reebok Human Rights Award.
What is the ILAB award?
Department of Labor Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor. The Iqbal Masih Award is a non-monetary award presented annually by the U.S.
Why was the Child Labor Award created?
The award was created in response to Senate Committee direction that the Secretary of Labor "establish an annual non-monetary award recognizing the extraordinary efforts by an individual, company, organization or national government toward the reduction of the worst forms of child labor.". Award Recipients.
What is the purpose of the Child Labor Award?
The purpose of the award is to recognize exceptional efforts to reduce the worst forms of child labor— in view of inspiring and motivating others working toward this end. The award's two major goals are: To honor and give public recognition to a recipient demonstrating extraordinary efforts to combat the worst forms of child labor internationally, ...
What was Iqbal's wish?
Since his liberation, he only had one wish and that was to free all the other children forced to labor within Pakistan. With the help of BLLF, the boy was able to get his story into the world stage, even getting the support of the United Nations. Iqbal started working with various NGOs around the world and even educating children that were older than him on child slavery and life within a third-world country such as Pakistan.
Why was Iqbal a target for all the factory owners within Pakistan?
This made Iqbal a target for all the factory owners within Pakistan as most of them were using child labor. On the 16th of April, 1995, Iqbal returned to Pakistan to see his family. The same day he was shot in the head in Muridke, Pakistan.
Overview
Biography
Iqbal Masih was born in 1983 in Muridke, a commercial city outside of Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan, into a poor Catholic family. At the age of four, he was sent to work by his family to help them pay off their debts. Iqbal's family borrowed 600 rupees (less than US$12.00 at the time) from a local employer who owned a carpet weaving business. 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 alon…
Escape and activism
At the age of 10, Iqbal escaped his slavery, after learning that bonded labour had been declared illegal by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He escaped and attempted to report his employer Ashad to the police, but the police brought him back to the factory seeking a finder's fee for returning escaped bonded labourers. Iqbal escaped a second time and attended the Bonded Labour Liber…
Death
"Iqbal Masih, a brave and eloquent boy who attended several international conferences to denounce the hardships of child weavers in Pakistan, was shot dead with a shotgun while he and some friends were cycling in their village of Muridke, near Lahore."
Iqbal was fatally shot by the "carpet mafia," while visiting relatives in Muridke on 16 April 1995, Easter Sunday. He was only 12 years old.
Legacy
• Iqbal's cause inspired the creation of organizations such as We Charity, a Canada-based charity and youth movement, and the Iqbal Masih Shaheed Children Foundation, which has started over 20 schools in Pakistan.
• In 1994, Iqbal visited Broad Meadows Middle School in Quincy, Massachusetts, and spoke to 7th graders about his life. He inspired the famous afterschool program run by teacher Ronald Adams called ODW (Operation: Day's Work). When the students l…
Further reading
• Andrew Crofts (15 June 2006). The Little Hero: One Boy's Fight for Freedom: Iqbal Masih's Story. Summersdale Publishers LTD - ROW. ISBN 978-1-84839-492-6.
• Susan Kuklin (15 October 1998). Iqbal Masih and the Crusaders Against Child Slavery. Henry Holt and Company (BYR). ISBN 978-0-8050-5459-0.
External links
• "Who Was Iqbal Masih?" mirrorimage.com.
• Gannon, Kathy (May 31, 1995). "Young Activist's Death Hits Pakistani Carpet Sales". Los Angeles Times.