Iqbal Masih
Encyclopedia
Iqbal Masih (b. 1982 - April 16, 1995), was a young Pakistan
Islamic 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 escape from servitude, and was assassinated at the age of 13.
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 housecleaner, but found it difficult to make enough money to feed all her children from her small income.
He was fatally shot in the back with a twelve gauge shotgun
on Easter Sunday 1995 in Muridke
in the middle of a busy road on his way back from church. Some locals were accused of the crime but it is assumed by many that he was assassinated by members of the "Carpet Mafia" because of his famous fight against the child labour industry.. Pakistan's leading human rights groups have stated that there is no evidence implicating the industry
He got shot in the back and no one cared
In 1994, Iqbal was awarded the Reebok Human Rights Award
. In 2000, he was posthumously awarded The World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child
.
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.
He was a good kid.
Iqbal's work and subsequent death inspired a 12 year old Canadian
boy, Craig Kielburger
to devote his life to Iqbal's cause and organize Free The Children
.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
Islamic 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 escape from servitude, and was assassinated at the age of 13.
Early life and labour
Iqbal Masih was born in Muridke, a very small, ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
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 housecleaner, but found it difficult to make enough money to feed all her children from her small income.
Escape and activism
At the age of 10, he escaped the brutal slavery 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 all around the world. Iqbal became a book and is about this boys story.He was fatally shot in the back with a twelve gauge shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
on Easter Sunday 1995 in Muridke
Muridke
Muridke is a major commercial area near the city of Lahore, Pakistan, it is located at 31°45'35N 73°50'16E and has an elevation of 205 m and is situated on the famous Grand Trunk Road and at the crossroads to Sheikhupura, Gujranwala and Narang Mandi/ Narowal...
in the middle of a busy road on his way back from church. Some locals were accused of the crime but it is assumed by many that he was assassinated by members of the "Carpet Mafia" because of his famous fight against the child labour industry.. Pakistan's leading human rights groups have stated that there is no evidence implicating the industry
He got shot in the back and no one cared
In 1994, Iqbal was awarded the Reebok Human Rights Award
Reebok Human Rights Award
The Reebok Human Rights Award honours activists under the age of 30 who fight for human rights through non-violent means. Each year, the award is given to four or five individuals. Each receives a grant of US$50,000 that must be used to support their human rights work. The awards are underwritten...
. In 2000, he was posthumously awarded The World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child
The World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child
The World’s Children’s Prize contributes toward a more humane world in support of the rights of the child; it is said to be the world’s largest annual educational program teaching young people about the rights of the child, democracy, the environment, and global friendship.More than 57,450 schools...
.
Legacy
In January 2009, the United States CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
established the annual Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor.
Iqbal visited Broad Meadows Middle School in Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
and spoke to 7th graders about his life. When the students learned of his death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, they decided to raise money and built a school in his honor in Pakistan.
He was a good kid.
Iqbal's work and subsequent death inspired a 12 year old Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
boy, Craig Kielburger
Craig Kielburger
Craig Kielburger, CM, MSM, OMC is a Canadian activist for the rights of children. He is the founder of Free The Children and co-founder of Me to We. On February 20, 2007, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada by the Governor General of Canada.-Early life:Kielburger was born in Thornhill,...
to devote his life to Iqbal's cause and organize Free The Children
Free The Children
Free The Children is an international charity and youth movement founded in 1995 by children's rights advocate Craig Kielburger. The organization is largely youth-funded, based on the concept of "children helping children." It specializes in sustainable development in countries of Kenya, Ecuador,...
.
External links
- "Who Was Iqbal Masih?" mirrorimage.com. accessed October 3, 2011.