“If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.”
We live in a world which has accepted control of man over another. Human enslavement and trading shows that still, biggest ethical problem, the world is facing is human trafficking. “Human trafficking is the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposes of forced labor, commercial sexual exploitation or for organ trafficking.”
Human trafficking involves deceiving vulnerable human, snatching their inherent right of freedom, making them slave of others. These victims screams for help but their cry for help is drowned in the sea of hopelessness. People are silent with apathetic sense against this crime.
“If nothing else is left, one must scream. Silence is the real crime against humanity.”
Human trafficking is a serious crime and violation of human rights. This problem is also affecting Pakistan. Traffickers chose victims with broken environment and force them into labor, commercial sexual exploitation or organ trading either by force or by false promises of better life. The prevalence of human trafficking in Pakistan can be due many factors, with poverty being the key cause. Nearly 23% of the country’s population lives below the poverty line, that’s why people accept any kind of employment opportunity and hence, become easy targets for traffickers
Human trafficking has many dimensions, sexual abusing is one of the main cause. Exploitation of children commercially, is the most brutal form of sex trafficking. Sadists (someone who enjoy inflicting pain on others, sometime in sexual sense) belief that having sex with a virgin would cure them of sexually transmitted diseases. Sometimes parents, enforced to repay their debts, sells their girls to those from whom they loaned. In some areas, parents forced their children to provide sexual favors to wealthy older men known as sugar-daddies, in exchange for school fee. Sometimes, the women lured with false promises of better life or kidnapped, are send in houses for domestic work where they are prostituted by the men of these house. Islam strictly prohibits any sexual relation outside of marriage. Furthermore, prostitution is forbidden. Verse 33 in chapter 24 illustrates this point. “But force not your maids to prostitution when they desire chastity, in order that ye may take a gain in the goods of this life. But if anyone compels them, yet after such compulsion, is Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful(to them).”
Along with women and children, males are also exploited sexually. The practice of bachcabaazi in Afghanistan and laundanach in India, where boys dress up as girls for entertaining men, show sex slavery and prostitution of male. Male prostitution is more common
in upper society. For sex slavery, men are either paid or forced particularly by females of high society. Labor is another big reason of human trafficking. Humans are forced for labor for repayment of loan with very little or no payment. Whereas in Islam Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said that “Give the hired man his wages before his sweat dries.” Children can be easily forced for labor by threatening or manipulating them to repay the debts of their fathers. The condition of domestic servants, including children, women and men is horrible. They are made to work for hours with more burden and less food and some of them are routinely subject to physical abuse. Islam is clear about the treatment of slaves. A Hadith of Prophet Muhammad instructs those who had slaves how to treat them. “Your slaves are your brothers. Allah has placed them under your authority. he who has his brother under him, should feed him from whatever he eats, and dressed him with whatever he wears, and do not burdon them(assign burdensome task to them) beyond their capacity; and if you burdon them then help them.”
Human trafficking for organ trading is also very serious problem occurring on global level. In this, mostly children are kidnapped. Various organs of these children are sold in high prices. After that the exploiters often kill them or point them in different areas for begging.
Human trafficking has a direct effect on victims. These victims lives into unhygienic and stressful living conditions where they receive little to no healthcare. Escaping from slavery is not only very difficult but dangerous too. If rescued, psychological, physiological and emotional wellbeing is still difficult because of the shame, guilt and trauma experienced during enslavement.Along with these consequences, victims are at increase risk of HIV and AIDS. They are forced to engage in sexual practices with multiple partners most associated with HIV transmission. Human trafficking is not only a crime but also a sin and we need to eradicate that from our land. Anyone, in any manner, can help in minimizing this condition. We can contribute in stopping this by being vigilant and reporting any such suspicious activities to authorities. It is necessary to create awareness among people through seminars, media and workshops, making people realizing their responsibility for society and making government to take steps to eradicate this problem from Pakistan. And by following the golden principles of Islam that we should look after each others, understanding our responsibility for society and help each other in any difficult condition so we could make Pakistan a prosperous and safe place to live cause,
“Defeating Human Trafficking is a great moral calling of our time.”
