Najibullah Quraishi's Commentary: The Dancing Boys Of Afghanistan

Bacha Bazi or “boy play” is a common practice that promotes child prostitution and sexual slavery in the various parts of Afghanistan. Najibullah Quraishi, an Afghan journalist and the director of the documentary The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan, has captured and documented the events that occur behind the illegal practice of Bacha Bazi. As shown in his documentary, young boys are sold off to powerful, wealthy men and are trained to become skilled dancers. Additionally, they are often sexually abused and used as a form of entertainment by their masters. Due to the increase of men participating in Bacha Bazi, I am questioning whether or not the Afghan government is developing new policies and rules that will effectively cease child prostitution.
For instance, I learned that prepubescent and adolescent boys from poor families and orphans are in danger of being bought by men who possess money and high authority, called masters. These masters select boys who have feminine features, groom them to become talented dancers, and make them wear female attire. Once the boys have acquired the skills and experience they need, they are allowed to perform in front of an audience consisting of only men. All of the men applauding and smiling at the dancing boys become so captivated by their charm and feminine appearance that they force the boys to engage in sexual acts with them. In addition, they attempt to negotiate or make an offer to other men in order to have ownership over the boys that they find attractive. The moment negotiations turn sour, there is a possibility of violence, even death, occurring. Moreover, when the masters believe that their boys are too old, they dispose of them. Therefore, the abandoned boys are forced to live in a world that they know very little of, and there are only two things that they are knowledgeable about: how to dance and entertain men. As a result, some of the boys search for other masters that will take them in and stay in the business. Others become the master and hunt for their own dancing
It also mentions an organization called One Free World International, a human rights organization that “raise awareness” for the child prostitution in Afghanistan (11). With One Free World International spreading its knowledge about the system of Bacha Bazi, individuals will realize how essential it is to save the children and put an end to the practice. Another article that advocates for human rights is “Ending Bacha Bazi: Boy Sex Slavery and the Responsibility to Protect Doctrine” written by Samuel V. Jones. Jones believe that “the Afghan government is obligated to respect international human rights” (73). The systematic child sex trafficking in Afghanistan is making the international community concerned, and they are pondering if they are authorized or obligated to intervene under the Responsibility to Protect doctrine (73). If they were to get involved, it would certainly change the lives of the children for the