Bacha Bazi: Boy Sex Slavery in Afghanistan

I recently learned something that completely shocked me. In Afghanistan, there is an ancient, underground custom of wealthy men and high-ranking officials taking boys and using them, essentially, as sex slaves.

I realize that by now, nothing horrible like this should shock me. My shock in this situation, however, lies in the fact that homosexuality is completely forbidden and even punished in states ruled by Islamic law. Yet, it seems some leaders of countries like Afghanistan readily participate in homosexuality. That is hypocrisy in its purest form.

The enslaved boys are called "bacha bereesh," or "boys without beards." They are often kept as a personal sex slave of their master. Their masters often bring them to parties, where they're forced to participate in a practice called "bacha bazi," which translates "boy play." During boy play, boys cake themselves with makeup, dress up as women, and dance in front of a group of men. Afterwards they are often raped or sexually assaulted by the men in attendance.

Part of what contributes to the practice of "bacha bazi," Afghanistan's culture of separation of the sexes. It seems to me that since women are forbidden at men's gatherings, men use the next best thing, boys, for their sexual satisfaction. This might be taking a presumptuous leap, but perhaps a logical one.

The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission is one of the few Afghan organizations working to end the practice of "bacha bazi." It distributes brochures to families, warning parents about the danger of the practice.

CNN recently produced a story on "bacha bazi." Check it out for more information.

Digitally Promoting Middle East Peace

I am a graduate student in mass communication. A lot of my research focuses on media and the Middle East. Today while researching, I ran into a Middle East media project that really impresses me. It's called MideastYouth.com, and its a project designed to promote social change by empowering young people with freedom of expression, and engaging them in dialogue.

I think MideastYouth.com is amazing, because dialogue and cross-cultural understanding is desperately needed in the Middle East. Religious extremism and political violence have created a culture that can nurture hate and distrust in the "other." This platform though, brings together youth from throughout the Arab world. By getting to know one another, and hearing alternate views, perhaps misunderstanding so deeply entrenched can dissolve.

The creators of MideastYouth.com didn't want the site to be a contention-free walk in the park. They made it so upon entering, visitors are directly confronted with hot-bed issues. They've even created a podcast called "Taboo." I noticed this week's "Taboo" topic was "Sex, Relationships and Independence in the Arab World." For a conservative region, that's really getting down to business.

Anyway, I'm not being lazy but you can learn more than I could ever relay by visiting MideastYouth.com.

Thus ends my first post. I've got a long way to go....

Building a Better World

So, they say that to be a successful blogger, you need a blog focus. This is my attempt at a blog with focus. Let's see if I can actually commit to writing about one subject area instead of whatever pops into my head.

The blog specialists said that when picking a focus, you should choose something you're interested in (duh). Well, I'm interested in making the world a better place, and learning about those who share this passion. I know, I know, "making the world a better place" is a relatively vague area of focus. But, I've decided that will be the beauty of this blog.

So follow along, as I share stories of "better world builders." People with ideas and actions that are building a better world for us all.