اقبال مسیح - Iqbal Masih (1983-1995) , have you ever heard the name? Ok, as I am sure like most of us (Pakistanis) you are not known with this name so let me tell you his story.
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He was born to a rural family outside Lahore in 1983. He was sold into bonded labour at a very early age to a local employer who owned carpet weaving business. His father had borrowed money (600 rupees - about $12) from the employer for wedding of Iqbal's brother and to repay the loan Iqbal was to work as a bonded labour 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.
He escaped when he was ten but was caught and brought by POLICE to his native place and he was sent again to the carpet weaver. He escaped again and this time he joined Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF) of Pakistan to help stop child labor around the world.
He worked with them to free the children like himself and helped over 3,000 Pakistani children that were in bonded labour escape to freedom, and he made speeches about child labour throughout the world.
Iqbal was fatally shot in Muridke on April 15 (Easter Sunday), 1995, shortly after returning from a trip to America. He was aged 11 at the time. His funeral was attended by approximately 800 mourners.
His death remains a controversy as some claim he was shot dead by carpet weaving mafia while others say he was shot dead by a farmer.
His leagacy lives on and United States Labour department has an annual award in his honour "The Iqbal Masih Award". Sadly in his home country (Pakistan) he is hardly known.
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Photos: (Click the photo for a larger view)
References::
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1990s/a/IqbalMasih.htm (Recommended)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iqbal_Masih
http://www.mirrorimage.com/iqbal/who/who.html
http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-31/business/fi-8016_1_child-labor
http://www.myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=iqbal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0D6K18wq8A
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