The Bacha and His Admirers, Vasily Vereshchagin

Bacha Bazi: Human Trafficking in the Name of Culture

When we think of culture, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For many, we consider the facets of food, religious rites and practices, clothing, etiquette and social structures. As humans, we tend to focus on the positive points of what makes us unique and diverse, and what shapes us into a global community. It is in this light that we’ve managed to function as best we can over the millenia, despite wars and conflicts for various reasons. Because of this piece of human nature, we sometimes tend to overlook harmful practices in the name of “culture”. While this may bring memories back to high school history learning about Seppuku, Hammurabi’s law of “An Eye For An Eye”, and the way Spartans often abandoned unfit babies to die, there are many horrors that still exist in the name of culture. Unfortunately, we have found through cultural studies and experiences in war that many traditions kept alive today are just as harmful as those from the past. The implications of ignoring human rights violations in the name of cultural practices brings about concern for the entire world as a whole- if we know about these practices and continue to turn a blind eye because it “isn’t our business”- how far will these practices spread? And how many victims will arise to continue the trauma cycles of such practices? Bacha Bazi, a common practice throughout Afghanistan, has serious intimations for how we define modern human trafficking, taking into consideration what risk this poses for policy making.

Bacha Bazi, known as “boy play” in the Afghan language is one such tradition that, despite being outlawed and condemned by leaders at certain points in Afghanistan’s history, has managed to stay relevant to this day. Though the practice has been known to date back centuries, historians highlight its existence beginning mainly in the 19th century. The custom began with the oppression of women, as it is not culturally acceptable in certain parts of Afghanistan for women to dance and entertain men, especially in sexually provocative ways. To avoid this cultural taboo, young boys are chosen, often by wealthy Afghan men, to be groomed, trained to dance, and perform sexually for their older partners or buyers. Ironically, homosexuality is also not allowed per Islamic faith. This however does not stop older, wealthy men from taking advantage of vulnerable young boys.

An article by the New Line Institute highlights an interesting statistic in regards to Bacha Bazi and its cultural background, especially in what we see happening in modern day Afghanistan. “Western accounts of gender in the southwest Asian country frequently stipulate the sequestration of genders as “female seclusion” when in reality the men are kept outside as much as the women are kept inside. Throughout Afghanistan, the movement of women was severely constricted across all ethnicities and cultures such as the Hazara, Uzbek, and Tajik societies; however, none are as limiting of women’s movements as the Pashtuns who make up the country’s ethnic majority. The extreme level of seclusion among Pashtuns could point to why the practice of bacha bazi is more prominent in Pashtun societies. Though the prevalence is difficult to discern due to limited data available, it has been suggested that approximately 50% of men in Kandahar had some iteration of sexual intercourse with men or boys at some point in their lives. However, it is important to note that this is not a regional or ethnic phenomenon and occurs in various provinces around Afghanistan.” (Prey et al, 2021)

Photo courtesy of Indian Times

The trafficked boys are sometimes as young as 8 years old, and chosen based on their socioeconomic status and prepubescent stage, which highlights their small feminine-like stature. After an agreement is made between parents or guardans, (if they are not orphaned or living on their own) the older man will take them as an “apprentice”- at this point the boys are taught to dance provocatively, forced to don female clothing and wear makeup, and will likely be raped and groomed by their much older purchaser. The boys will remain in the custody of their traffickers and abusers until they are no longer desired by the men they entertain- some boys are forced to dance until the time they are 18–20 years old. At that time, they are left to fend for themselves, no longer under the supervision of their trafficker and deemed “unwanted” by the community they were a part of. In many circumstances, boys who try to flee their traffickers are punished or murdered. It is not uncommon to hear of boys who are shot or beaten in retaliation after a failed escape attempt.

This practice is still widely accepted because of rampant poverty, a declining economy, and the uncertainty of what will happen to families as conflict is still present in this area of the world. While Bacha Bazi goes against the code of Sharia Law and was ultimately banned by the Taliban who took control of Afghanistan in the mid 1990’s, the practice continued to occur although it was considered taboo. Punishments are harsh for breaking Sharia Law, but in areas that are hard to monitor the custom was still enacted. Many Afghan families struggling to rebuild from the war with the U.S., as well as living under the thumb of terrorist groups like the Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS have been backed into a corner financially. Because of Bacha Bazi’s deep roots, if presented with the opportunity to make money and have one less mouth to feed, families will often give up young sons to these men who seek out boys in this situation. Knowing this is commonplace, many families feel as though this is the best option for them, despite the traumas and cyclical nature that this custom entails.

When the war began in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Word Trade Center in New York City, thousands of troops deployed to Afghanistan about two weeks after the initial attack to find those responsible. Though we had previous experiences in this region of the world, troops were not prepared for what they would see and hear while deployed. The culture in Afghanistan is focused on hospitality and warmth- few people would turn away a hungry stranger at their doorstep. But amidst the wonderful culture and welcoming atmosphere, harmful cultural differences between locals and U.S. troops brewed beneath the surface. American troops were about to be exposed to many strange customs that only amplified the fact that they were strangers in a strange land, and many watched as Bacha Bazi played out before their very eyes.

For obvious reasons, this outraged U.S. forces who were put there to eliminate threats to human rights and overall well being. Soldiers would often bear witness to Afghan officials, officers and military personnel who kept boys of their own. When faced with these atrocities as these situations came to light and gained more prevalence with our involvement in the Global War On Terror, U.S. troops were taught to simply… look the other way.

An article detailing such an instance was published by the New York Times in 2015, telling of the experience and subsequent career loss of one U.S. soldier who could not bear to stand by and watch. Former Army Captain Dan Quinn stated: “The reason we were here is because we heard the terrible things the Taliban were doing to people, how they were taking away human rights,” said Dan Quinn, a former Special Forces captain who beat up an American-backed militia commander for keeping a boy chained to his bed as a sex slave. “But we were putting people into power who would do things that were worse than the Taliban did — that was something village elders voiced to me.” (Goldstein, 2015) In another incident of US forces trying to stand up to local Afghani’s involved in Bacha Bazi, a member of the US Army was assassinated by a sniper hired at the hands of the man he confronted for keeping a young boy against his will. This came to light in 2012, as U.S. military members and human rights workers began to report their interactions with Afghans participating in the custom. (Nisaya et al, 2019)

For many U.S. troops, they witnessed this not only in the field as they went on missions, but on their own military bases. Many times, Afghan leaders of local communities that U.S. troops were instructed to train were steeped in the practice of Bacha Bazi. Not wanting to make relations more difficult between American soldiers and Afghan leaders, troops were instructed that they were not there to stop pedophiles and traffickers. They were there to train Afghan army members and police. As the war raged on and numerous human rights violations surfaced in Afghanistan, American officials were hesitant to address the issue. It is no secret that many Americans condemn human trafficking and practices that put people (especially children) at risk. What was it about Bacha Bazi that made it such a difficult issue for Americans to tackle during their time in Afghanistan?

In an argument presented for Seton Hall University to prosecute human rights violations at the hands of those who practice Bacha Bazi and were backed by U.S. forces, William Badinelli offered the following information:

“In 1997, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont introduced a bill that limited funding for training in regards to nations with histories of human rights abuses. The legislation arose from Senator Leahy’s, as well as other members’ of Congress, concern that recipients of American military funding were using the funding to support oppressive governments in South America.” This section details how the Leahy Laws came into effect, the importance of their existence, and why the U.S. must pay close attention to providing aid to those who are at risk of violating human rights, as our services should not aid in allowing those violations to happen. He goes on to say, “Subsections (a) and © of § 2378d of Title 22 of the United States Code state:

(a) No assistance shall be furnished under this chapter of the Arms Export Control Act to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights;

© In the event the funds are withheld from any unit pursuant to this section, the Secretary of state shall promptly inform the foreign government of the basis for such action and shall, to the maximum extent practicable, assist the foreign government in taking effecting measures to bring the responsible members of the security forces to justice.” (Badinalle, 2019)

In review of these laws, it is clear that Bacha Bazi is a clear violation of the standards that the US sets for assisting those in foreign countries. He details in his paper that these laws were not implemented effectively during our time in Afghanistan, stating:

“The U.S. government has taken on a policy of inaction and ignorance over human rights violations committed by Afghan security forces funded by DOD and State. As of September 2016, DRL had conducted 18,768 Leahy vetting requests for Afghan security forces since 2010; this includes 5,753 requests from DOD, and of those, 4,818 were approved, 284 were canceled, 651 suspended, and none rejected. From 2010 to 2016, the U.S. military asked to review Afghan military units to see if there were any instances of gross violations of human rights abuse on 5,753 occasions; not once was funding cut off. U.S. funding of Afghan security forces continue unabated, despite the fact that as of August 2016, DOD was tracking seventy-five reported human rights violations, seven of which involved child sexual assault. In addition to the reported child sexual assaults, DOD and State have determined that there was credible information of gross violation of human rights for twenty-three of forty-six incidents not involving child abuse, such as extrajudicial killings and torture. In many of these cases, DOD has used what is called the “notwithstanding clause” of the Defense Appropriations Act to continue funding Afghan security forces which have been implicated in gross violations of human rights.” (Badinalle, 2019)

His further analysis provided the following information:

“Bacha Bazi boys are raped and forced into sexual slavery by older, powerful Afghan men, such as warlords and government officials. Both DOD and State view child sexual assault as a “gross violation of human rights” as defined under the Foreign Assistance Act’s defined use of the term. Therefore, the Leahy laws govern Afghan security forces engaged in Bacha Bazi. The DOD Leahy law must be enhanced in order to punish sexual predators and bring an end to Bacha Bazi.” (Badinalle, 2019)

Badinalle continues to detail instances in which these Afghani officials should be charged with violations of Leahy laws- and how, because of weak government implementation across Afghanistan, it is unlikely that any of these men will be brought to justice on their home territory. Therefore, it is up to the U.S. to do the due diligence of bringing this issue to light and holding these Afghan men accountable for the trafficking of the boys- but this is not so simple.

According to the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, “The rampant nature of bacha bazi in some regions risked the legitimacy of the Afghan government in the eyes of Afghan civilians and undermines Washington’s reputation and that of America’s multilateral international partners. This will have long-term impacts well after the United States has completed its troop drawdown. Over the decades of the American military presence in Afghanistan, the U.S. has continuously turned a blind eye to the ANSF’s and Northern Alliance’s insistence that the current iteration of bacha bazi is Afghan culture, when in reality these groups are co-opting a historical practice in order to traffic and sexually abuse vulnerable Afghan boys. The continued and unquestioned support of the ANSF puts at risk long-term goals for stability and peace in Afghanistan, which the U.S. should continue to emphasize through foreign aid.

The ANSF has been one of the most critical partners in the U.S. fight against the Taliban and in international efforts to stabilize the country. According to the 2015 Congressional request to investigate these potential human rights abuses by a vital security partner, there was concern that any behaviors exhibited, and actions taken, on a U.S. military base would considerably harm reconstruction and stabilization efforts.” (Prey et al, 2021)

To put it bluntly, the United States fears taking actions against Afghanistan for its so-called cultural practice of human trafficking in favor of building alliances with local Afghan leaders. The goal of American forces has been to help put an end to the Taliban’s strict rule over Afghanistan through Sharia Law- which is full of human rights violations in its own right. This may seem like an instance of picking the lesser of two evils, as the Taliban is quite commonly known for its reign of terror through morality policing and loosely based assumption of justice in the streets of Afghanistan. However, by basically ignoring what is going on in Afghanistan when we know that this practice puts the most vulnerable in society at risk, it is almost as if the efforts we put forth in making life progressive for the citizens of Afghanistan are destroyed before they’re implemented.

New Lines Institute continues in their article by stating:

“Ignoring human rights violations in favor of assumed strategic benefits and security, however, has costs. Justice and human rights should not be secondary concerns in Afghanistan as they are fundamental to its stability. The inextricable linkage between human rights and stability is readily apparent when one considers that the Taliban have used bacha bazi as a recruiting tactic and as a way to bait the ANSF into further violence. However, it has become clear that American dollars are critical to the war in Afghanistan and the U.S. should prioritize long-term funding to the country, especially considering that grants continue to finance about 75% of Afghanistan’s public spending.” (Prey et al, 2021)

While navigating the social and political nuances of a country can be extremely difficult, especially in times of war, there are instances in which these violations become downright unacceptable. For policy makers, this should seem very obvious and incredibly black and white- these injustices should cease to exist, period. While we went to war in Afghanistan for a specific purpose, time and resources were dedicated to stamping out harmful practices that put the lives of our allies in danger. Asylum was offered to interpreters for helping soldiers on mission, the cultural sensitivities involving female Afghan citizens were taken into consideration while we communicated with local villagers, aid was given to farmers whose livelihoods were destroyed by American efforts in war. The lines became blurred when U.S. troops were forced to work with those who stood at the forefront of human trafficking, and were told that it was not our place to determine what cultural practices were acceptable or not. This rightfully angered many soldiers who wondered what they were doing on foreign soil if they weren’t there to protect the innocent and stop things like Bacha Bazi from occurring.

There are several steps that could be taken in order to end the practice of Bacha Bazi, although this seems like a daunting task. Making the world aware is a good starting point, but this will only happen if U.S. troops and Afghan immigrants and refugees are given a platform to talk about these occurrences. While there were a few stories that made it to major news outlets like CNN and The New York Times, security briefs concerning the implementation of Leahy Laws pertaining to trafficking in cases of Bacha Bazi went published primarily under the radar. Suggestions were made by the Department of Defense as to what steps should be taken to figure out if the sources of these instances were credible or substantial for court cases.

Further recommendations were as follows: “We recommend that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia (DASD APC) review the United States Central Command and United States Special Operations Command historical records containing allegations of child sexual abuse by the ANDSF personnel to determine whether any of the allegations are gross violations of human rights that require further review by USFOR-A or the GVHR Forum. If those allegations have credible information, determine what actions should be taken to comply with the DoD Leahy Law (Recommendation D.2). We recommend that the Commander, USFOR-A, establish more detailed procedures for DoD affiliated personnel in Afghanistan to report allegations of child sexual abuse committed by ANDSF personnel, and other human rights violations, including procedures that verify that the USFOR-A SJA receives such reports (Recommendation A.2).” (DoD, 2017)

There are ways to end the systemic poverty that plagues villages in Afghanistan, the starting point for why many boys end up being trafficked. Empowering the citizens of Afghanistan through aid in the form of food, shelter, financial freedom and health care is the most obvious beginning for change, but the issue with providing this aid lies in the corruption of Afghan officials. Many times, aid meant for local villages and towns is distributed unevenly or not at all, kept to be sold or used by those in power- aid given to those who are impoverished should be overseen by an outside source.

Healing the infrastructure of Afghanistan should also be prioritized, as their poverty is most widely caused by the destruction of any local economy meant to keep families afloat as a result of war. This is a huge undertaking for anyone- including Afghan’s who after their homes are destroyed, feel defeated by multiple traumatic events, and find themselves with limited options as far as surviving is concerned. After decades of conflict, it can be difficult to rebuild following intense bombings, fighting in the streets and control by enemy fighters. An excellent way to combat this is by funding reconstruction through organizations meant to help rebuild after lives are destroyed by war. This is a huge reason for the source of poverty and entrapment when it comes to the trafficking of these young boys.

Lastly, more pressure needs to be put on Afghanistan governments to root out the sources of trafficking and hold those accountable. This includes pinpointing those who were involved in trafficking boys when America had more involvement in everyday life in Afghanistan. Knowing that this is a problem, even though we have pulled U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, is reason enough to seek out justice for those who are trafficked every year at the hands of those who practice Bacha Bazi. We can no longer remain blissfully ignorant of the cultural practices that lead to the degradation of human life and liberty in countries like Afghanistan, and others in the Middle East who support similar practices. Change needs to occur from within the country itself, but those aware of the issue on the outside should be doing everything in their power to promote the disassembly of one of the most harmful industries in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, not only does Bacha Bazi have harmful implications for those currently residing there, just trying to live their lives alongside their families and friends, but this creates a cycle of trauma that could take centuries of undoing. We know through studying these trauma cycles that they affect the mental and physiological health of individuals if proper care is not taken. If it does not stop in the near future, it will spread to more corners of the globe, where subsequent trafficking and enslavement of innocent youngsters will become the norm. This will breed more contempt, fear and anger among Afghan citizens, making it difficult for them to stand in a united front against other human rights disparities.

It is my hope that through the spread of information about Bacha Bazi, we will begin to see great change on the horizon for the citizens of Afghanistan, and that these crimes will diminish with time. As people become more aware of what is going on in the dark corners of the world, policy makers must remain diligent in enforcing laws that protect the most vulnerable. If we want to see changes in the structure and function of places like Afghanistan, we must not gloss over the small cracks in the foundation that lead to the complete destruction of their nation. As many U.S. soldiers asked “what is the point of fighting a war if we are going to put corrupt individuals in power?”, we must also ask what steps we are taking to ensure that this practice does not go on from one generation to the next by putting policy makers in place that will implement these changes in writing.

Sources

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