Iqbal Masih

Iqbal Masih was born in 1982 in Muridke, a small village outside of Lahore in Pakistan. His family was very poor and shortly after Iqbal was born his father Saif Masih decided to leave his family. When he was four years old Iqbal’s mother needed money to pay for his brother’s wedding. For a poor family in Pakistan the only way to borrow money from an employer. An employer loans a family money in exchange for the bonded labor of a small child.

Iqbal was first made to work an entire year without wages in order to learn the skills of a carpet weaver. By the time his apprenticeship ended he was paid only twenty cents a day. The conditions he worked in were terrible. Iqbal and the other children were made to squat on a wooden bench and tie millions of knots into carpets. Iqbal couldn’t talk to any of the other children and if he daydreamed the guards would beat him.

Many times, the children would accidentally cut themselves with the carpet knives and, to stop the bleeding, their wounds were dipped in hot oil so that the blood and skin would quickly bond together. They didn’t really care about the health of the child and they were doing this to make sure the child could work again.

Six years later Iqbal heard about a meeting of the Bonded Labor Liberation Front that helped children like him. After work he sneaked out and attended the meeting. In the meeting Iqbal learned the bonded labor was banned in 1992 and he instantly knew he wanted to be free. He talked to Eshan Ullah Khan who gave him paperwork he needed to show to his employer to be free.

Iqbal wasn’t content just to free himself so he worked to free his fellow workers as well. When he was free he was sent to a BLLF school in Lahore. Iqbal studied very hard finishing four years of work in two. At school iqbal was seen having natural leadership skills and he became involved in demonstrations that fought against bonded child labor.

Iqbal’s six years in bonded labor has made him about half the normal size of his age and has stunted his growth. Iqbal also suffered from kidney problems, bronchial infections, a curved spine and arthritis. When he went to the USA to receive the reebok human rights award, Iqbal enjoyed watching cartoons and had a chance to play some computer games as well.

Iqbals popularity and influence had also gained him some death threats from the carpet mafia. Iqbal ignored the threats and continued to help free children from bonded labor.

On Sunday, April 16, 1995, Iqbal spent time with his mother and siblings on easter, he then head over to visit his uncle. On the way Iqbal was shot and killed by the members of the carpet mafia.

Iqbal’s story had made such an impact that children in Broad Meadows Middle School decided to raise funds to build a school. 10 years after his death they raised enough money to build 8 schools around the world.

The carpet mafia probably killed Iqbal because he was freeing the bonded laborers that they viewed as assets. The BLLF and the bonded laborers were probably shocked and saddened to hear that Iqbal was killed but this probably made them to work harder for freedom.