VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

VOICE OF THE GLOBAL UMMAH

Vol 19, March 16, 2008

Mehrun-Yusuf Behavioral Care

St. Louis, Missouri

EDITOR: Hajji Mohamed Ziauddin

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST BENEFICENT AND THE MOST MERCIFUL

PLIGHT OF OUR CHILDREN – PART I:

WHAT INNOVATIVE WAYS COULD THE UMMAH DEVELOP TO REACH OUT IN HELPING OUR CHILDREN?

You hear from religious experts from one particular school of thought that “You do your Salaat and strictly follow other Islam requirements in your personal life and everything else will fall automatically in place”. Is there a truth in such a statement from a global Ummah’s perspective? Is the Ummah CONNECTED, SEMI-CONNECTED OR DISCONNECTED with the social problems that the global UMMAH is currently facing today ? Is it a disservice to the global army of Muslim volunteers who would like to reach out and assist other distressed Muslims to be told “THIS (all sufferings by the Ummah including the suffering of Muslim children) IS ALL PART OF ALLAH’S PLAN. YOU CANNOT GO AGAINST THE WILL OF ALLAH”? Have they forgotten the famous Islamic gem that if the current Muslims don’t change the good for the Muslim community then Allah will replace them with a new group of Muslims to do the same work of positive change? As an example, let’s look at the largest Muslim country in the world to assess the pathetic plight of children:

INDONESIA:

UNICEF estimates that 100,000 women and children are trafficked annually for commercial sexual exploitation in Indonesia and abroad, 30 percent of the female prostitutes in Indonesia are below 18, and 40,000-70,000 Indonesian children are victims of sexual exploitation. The East Java Children’s Protection Agency estimates that at least 100,000 women and children are trafficked annually from, through, and to East Java.

Child Trafficking is on the Rise in Indonesia (4/1/07): BABIES FOR SALE: Indonesian authorities are battling a growing trade in child trafficking, including a recent case where hundreds of babies were sold overseas, a report says. The report, by the Indonesian Ministry of Women Empowerment, found that efforts to retrieve the children in baby trafficking cases were flawed. It comes amid a three-day workshop on the commercial sexual exploitation of children, hosted by UNICEF and the Indonesian Ministry of Women Empowerment in Bali.

The gathering is attempting to devise a strategy for combating the growing industry. "The baby trafficking cases in Indonesia are not comprehensively handled as human trafficking crimes," the report said. "The cases in which the (perpetrators) were caught and brought to law were the cases where they were caught red-handed."

The report said one woman was caught in South Jakarta last year after having sold 880 babies abroad. A further 25 babies were saved. In another case, also in South Jakarta, one group admitted to selling more than 80 babies to foreigners, while a man in west Java had "exported" about 300 babies overseas, the report said.

UNICEF child protection officer Anna-Karin Jatfors said sexual exploitation of children was a "major and growing issue", with evidence of criminal syndicates operating throughout Indonesia and Asia. "Because of the crimes involved and the personal nature of sex, the trafficking and exploitation becomes underground and difficult to monitor," she said.

"We only have to walk through Kuta or any other tourist area at night to see for ourselves many young girls working in the street, or in many of the clubs, karaoke bars or even hotels operating in the area," she said. "Adolescent children who drop out of school are the most vulnerable.

"They are trapped by poor education, with little or no work opportunities. As such they are easy prey for traffickers." Ministry of Women Empowerment Child Protection Assistant Deputy Soepalarto Soedibjo said there had been a "significant increase" of sexual exploitation of children, with no significant improvement despite recent efforts to fight the problem.

"We hoped that if the project is succeeded, it can be an example for other areas, but we have problems, we have difficulties to raise awareness to people on this matter," Soepalarto said. Two Australians were facing child sex charges in Indonesia.

Donald Storen, 58, faces up to five years if found guilty of allegations of sexual acts with minors on the island of Lombok, while TEACHER Peter Smith faces up to 20 years if convicted of sexually abusing six street children in south Jakarta.

Adapted from: "Child trafficking on rise in Indonesia'" NineMSN. 4 December 2006.

GLOBAL REPORT:

Jasmine Whitbread, CEO of Save the Children, said:

"Child slavery is not a historical phenomenon - it is a stark reality for millions of children in both poor and rich countries. These children are treated like commodities; they can be lent or sold to other owners without warning, and live under crushing conditions of humiliation and abuse. Governments everywhere - including the UK - are not doing enough to respond to the plight of children in this inhumane situation. World leaders and international donors must act as a matter of urgency to address child slavery and put in place the laws and resources needed to eradicate these terrible practices”.

(9/4/07) A Report by Save the Children Reveals Millions of Children Live as Child Slaves

On the 200th anniversary of the Slave Trade Act, a new report by Save the Children reveals millions of children are still living as child slaves.

The report exposes the eight most prevalent forms of child slavery that are still forcing children to live in appalling conditions, to work long hours for little or nothing in return, and to be subjected to extreme harm, violence and rape.

CHILD TRAFFICKING:

1.2 million Children and babies are trafficked every year, including into Western Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean, and the number is increasing. Gangs involved in child and people trafficking make an estimated profit of US$ 32 billion per year.

CHILD PROSTITUTION:

At any one time across the world, around 1.8 million children are being abused through prostitution, child pornography and sex tourism. In the UK there are 5,000 child prostitutes. 75% of them are girls.

BONDED CHILD LABOR

Millions of children are forced to work away their childhood in horrific conditions to pay off debt, or simply the interest on it. In India alone, estimates suggest up to 15 million children could be enslaved by somebody else's debt, many involved in illegal, hazardous and dangerous work.

FORCED WORK IN MINES

One million children are risking their lives in mines and quarries in more than 50 African, Asian and South American countries. In the Sahel region of Africa, 200,000 children are daily risking their lives in gold and mineral mines.

AGRICULTURAL LABOR

More than 132 million children under 15 are trapped working in agriculture, often exposed to pesticides, heavy machinery, machetes and axes. In Kazakhstan, children work in cotton and tobacco fields and factories for up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

CHILD SOLDIERS

More than 300,000 children under 15 are involved with fighting forces, including government armies. Boys and girls in at least 13 countries are actively being recruited as child soldiers or as army 'wives'. Around 11,000 children in Democratic Republic of Congo are currently being held by fighting groups.

FORCED CHILD MARRIAGE

Child marriage, which often includes mail order and internet brides, is one of the most widespread - yet hidden - forms of slavery. GIRLS AS YOUNG AS FOUR ARE FORCED TO LIVE AND HAVE SEX WITH THEIR HUSBAND, AND ARE OFTEN KEPT TRAPPED INDOORS. Girls under 15 are five times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than women over 20. In Afghanistan more than half of all girls are married before they are 16.

DOMESTIC SLAVERY

Millions of children across the world, some as young as six, are forced to work up to 15 hour days as domestic workers. Many are beaten, starved and sexually abused. There are 200,000 child domestic workers in Kenya, 550,000 in Brazil and 264,000 in Pakistan.

NORTH AMERICA:

WOMAN’S “MY SPACE” VIDEO OF TWO YEAR OLD SMOKING RESULTS IN HER ARREST:

VIRGINIA: According to digital journal (12/18/07) a woman who posted a video to her MY SPACE account of a two year old attempting to smoke a cigarette, and spewing profanity under her direction has been arrested in Virginia Beach, VA. Camera equipment as well as computers found in her home has been seized. Sandra Venery has been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor after family members alerted police to the My Space video she had uploaded. THE VIDEO WAS APPARENTLY A MIMIC OF A SKIT THE WOMAN SAYS SHE SAW ON TV.

POLICE: DAD THREW FOUR CHILDREN OFF BRIDGE:

Bayou La Batre, ALASKA: According to news.yahoo, a day after reporting his four young children were missing, a fisherman broke down and confessed that he threw them off a two lane 80 foot high Dauphin Island Bridge resulting in their deaths, authorities said. Lam Luong 37 was charged with four counts of capital murder, and divers searched the murky waters for the bodies of the youngsters, who range in age from a few months to three years.

PENNYSLVANIA: According to the Pittsburghchannel.com, in 12/14/07: SOMERSET, Pa. -- Police said a Somerset man draped a live snake around his 2-year-old son's neck, fed him hot sauce, and otherwise abused him for nearly a year. Jason Flick, 27, is charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and related charges. He was arrested Friday and taken to the Somerset County Jail on $25,000 bond. Authorities began investigating Flick when his son, Kaleb, was taken to Somerset Hospital on Sept. 30, 07 with a skull fracture and broken leg. Police said the boy's abuse included being shot with an air "soft gun" that caused welts, being struck so hard that he lost his breath and having beer put in his "sippy cup."

News.yahoo.com INDIANAPOLIS: 1/15/08: BABY, TODDLER KILLED IN MOTHERS ARMS:

A baby, a toddler and their mothers were shot to death while the women held their children in their arms, police said Tuesday as officers searched for two men seen running from the victims' home. All four victims were shot repeatedly late Monday night, said Indianapolis police Assistant Chief Eva Talley-Sanders. All died at the house on the city's north side except for 4-month-old Charlie Yarrell, who died at a hospital.

"I can't imagine what kind of evil it takes to shoot two women and the innocent children in their arms," police Chief Michael Spears said at a news conference. “Whoever is responsible for this, we are going to track you down like dogs,” Mario County Sheriff Frank Anderson said: “We are not going to stop until we find you and put you in a cage where you belong”.

The other victims were Jordan Hunt, 23 months, his mother, Gina Hunt, 24, and Charli's mother, Andrea Yarrell, 24

Starbulletin.com: 1/18/08 HAWAII:By Leila Fujimori and Alexandre Da Silva

Police arrested a 23-year-old man yesterday who allegedly threw a young neighbor boy from a 25-foot freeway overpass into the path of speeding cars, shutting down the H-1 freeway's westbound lanes for three hours and backing up traffic throughout Honolulu.

Matthew M. Higa was arrested near Prospect Street after witnesses and police chased him up Miller Street soon after he allegedly tossed the child from the pedestrian overpass at about 11:40 a.m.

The mother identified her son as 1-year-old Cyrus Belt. At least one vehicle ran over the boy, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Emergency Services Department.

POINTS TO REFLECT?

There is evidence of children being abused and exploited in one way or the other in almost all parts of the globe. Above does not include the terrible trauma experienced by children during war. What is the extent of co-ordination between the local, national and international Muslim Social Service Organizations to assist the Muslim children globally? What proposed targets and goals do the biggest Muslim organization – WORLD MUSLIM LEAGUE has in terms of assisting the Ummah’s children? How many Muslim magazines, journals or newsletters does the Ummah have in terms of focusing on assisting our Children? Is there a single UMMAH'S MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM ready to be there for our children if urgently needed ?

WHILE THE MUSLIMS THE WORLD OVER KEEP REPEATING "WE ARE ONE UMMAH" MILLIONS OF TIMES GLOBALLY, THERE IS BIG ROOM FOR IMPROVMENT IN TRANSLATING ABOVE VERBAL STATEMENT INTO CO-ORDINATED ACTION. MAY ALLAH BLESS AND GUIDE ONE AND ALL.

Acknowledgements: humantrafficking.org

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