Young boys dancing, wearing flashy colorful women’s clothes, small silver bells attached to the hands and feet. Once they start dancing, the bells ring and the actions of the youngsters excites the audience. They scream, « come to me, I am crazy about you, I am your slave, I want to touch your body, you are my love, » and much more. Some also throw, and give money on these young boys.

In Afghanistan, women are not allowed to dance in public or at wedding parties in front of men. And so, instead of girls, boys wear feminine clothes and play the role of « women ».

However, dancing is not the only action taking place; there is violence, prostitution, sexual and non-sexual abuse and threats because often these young men are forced to finish their night with men from those parties.

Part of the Afghan culture

The practice of « bacha bazi » that is performed by the « bacha bereesh » (which translates to « boy without beard ») appears to be seen by many as part of the Afghan culture and is not considered as a crime in the constitution.

However, the Independent Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan 6 years ago recently call for, after a case of pedophilia was revealed. Some have called for the death penalty for those involved in such unacceptable acts.

Sexual abuse and sexual exploitation are daily social problems. Social taboos mean that there is a collective ignorance of sexual crime and sexual oppression.

Sexually repressed males often have little choice but to turn to each other. This is not a single case, but a growing phenomenon in Afghanistan. This « tradition » dates back to the age-old practice of keeping boy dancers in some rural Pashtun tribal areas, in the east and south, which over time has spread northwards to other parts of the country.

Another cause of this phenomenon is poverty. Due to the constant conflict in Afghanistan the state of the economy state is very unstable, and the practice is seen by these boys as a way of earning money.

Not a choice

In a phone interview, 14 years old boy Asadullah, from Lougar province, explained his reasons for turning to the practice. It certainly was not a choice. His parents were killed by a land mine when he was 10 years old. After their deaths, the family went to live with their uncle in the city of Muhammed Agha, in Lougar.

They lived in dire poverty, and after two years of struggles his younger siblings became beggars, while he became a « bacha bereesh ». He said that when he started dancing at 12 years old, a rich man kept him and paid money to his family.

When asked how much he got paid, he cried and struggled to talk. He continued by adding that it was “not only physically painful when the gang raped me and had sex with me, it was really painful emotionally as well.” But he had no other choice, he said. If he stopped, his sisters and brothers would die of hunger.

The children who are victims of « bacha bazi » cannot attend school. They are also taken from their parents – mostly poor or widowed families – or taken from the streets. Due to the fear and shame associated with it, parents are unaware of the abuse their children are facing.

Dr Aziza Azimi, a former children’s doctor, said that it is shameful to talk about this problem and not accept its existence, but it is very difficult to stop it because of the lack of law in Afghanistan.

One former MP in Afghanistan, Fawzia Koofi, said it was important to define child abuse – which she described as “any sexual acts performed on a child by an adult or an older child, which includes touching inappropriately around private parts, penetrative sex, sexual prostitution, and exposing children or making child pornography.”

Children are kept as slaves and forced into acts such as sexual relations and sodomy.

Koofi added: “I don’t think anyone can put theses perpetrators in jail especially now with the Taliban in power. Children are kept as slaves and called « bacha bereesh’ » and forced into acts such as sexual relations and sodomy.”

If those guilty of child sexual abuse are not arrested and judged, this process will continue, she said.

Following a recent Facebook post about « bacha bereesh », information, stories and photos circulated which indicated the practice has grown during the Taliban’s regime throughout Afghanistan. But no one can talk about it.

A young boy aged 15, who was working in the street of Frooshga in Kabul, was sexually abused by the Taliban, according to the testimony of a local business owner.

Ahmad Zaker who has a shop in the same area said that there is no control : « They come in a car without a number plate and choose someone, they force them to go with them, and we know what will happen with this poor boy. »

He added: “Every day I see what is happening and what is going on with the poor kids here. The Taliban call themselves the Islamic Emirate, but they do not respect Islam. I hate the Taliban.”

It occurs here in Belgium

These situations don’t stop at the borders. It occurs here in Belgium, inside the refugee camps since it has been normalised as a part of the culture in the heads of so many. Red Cross workers in Belgium said there is an urgent need of a solution to this unacceptable situation.

The Network of Afghan Diaspora Organization in Europe (NADOE) team is preparing some presentations in order to shed light on the matter, raise awareness and hopefully prevent the abuse from happening to any child in the first place.

Inhuman and abusive

The letter beneath was published by the Department for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. It is an official letter by the Taliban and it was sent to the military administration of their regime.

The Taliban warn the Mujahideen that if any bacha bereesh was found in their rooms, the person in charge of that room will be expelled from the army and their right to appeal the decision is also taken from them.

This letter is a proof of this inhuman and abusive act of bacha bazi.