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A NovelSome 73 million children under the age of ten work regularly throughout the world today. Nearly 6 million work "in conditions of 'forced and bonded labor.'" Many earn the equivalent of pennies per day and never regain their freedom. - as cited by Francesco D'Adamo in Iqbal
Having recently visited several Seattle-area classrooms to give slideshow presentations on various countries and cultures, I decided to change things up in June by highlighting a novel targeted at kids: Iqbal. Iqbal follows the exploits of a group of Pakistani children forced to sew carpets in conditions of "bonded labor." Bonded labor exists when a person is forced to work for a pre-established period of time to pay off a debt. In some parts of the world, desperately poor parents accept money in exchange for the labor resources of a child. Their children are effectively sold to factory owners and forced to work their way to freedom. Conditions are often terrible, with children chained to work-benches and tables. They often work from dawn to dusk seven days a week. It is not uncommon for the “debt” to grow over time; poor production and misdeeds are met by days or weeks being added to the debt. Many never repay what they owe and, as a result, work for their masters for life. Iqbal portrays the fictional account of a real-world figure who dared to stand up to his master and expose the sordid system of bonded labor in the region. Because masters serve as protectors and providers for the children, the system often produces “docile slaves” who fail to protest their situations. In the book, the character Iqbal breaks this mold and escapes. After being forcibly returned to his master by the police (who, being in the master's pay, are willing to turn a blind eye to the conditions in which the children are held), his second attempt to escape succeeds. The operation is shut down by the Bonded Labor Liberation Front, a group working to eliminate bonded labor in Pakistan – and Iqbal plays a major role in freeing his peers throughout the region. The real-life Iqbal Masih received an international prize and traveled to the United States and Sweden before being murdered in Pakistan in April, 1995, at just 13 years of age. His murder was never solved. I was introduced to Iqbal by way of a class of Burlington sixth graders and their teacher, Tamara. The class had been working through the book prior to my visit, exploring the issues of child labor and human rights exposed. I read Iqbal to prepare for my visit. The book is great for children between 10 and 13 years old for several reasons. First, it is a story about kids their age. They can relate to the experiences of the characters depicted. Iqbal also introduces young readers to another culture. For American children, it's easy to get caught up in the material concerns of the society without developing any awareness of how very different (and often worse) conditions can be in other parts of the world. Readers will learn about Pakistani culture via Iqbal and may leave the book with newfound appreciation for their own families, lifestyles, and rights. Finally, the book is a story of empowerment. It's about a boy who refuses to accept that he is helpless. He believes he is capable of and ultimately succeeds in forcing change. In doing so, a powerful example is set for the book's young readers. I concluded my presentation to the Burlington class with several questions about Iqbal. When I asked how many children under the age of ten worked regularly throughout the world, several hands shot up. I was surprised when the girl I called on gave the correct answer of 73 million without a moment of hesitation. It was then that I knew Iqbal had made an impression on a number of children in the class and decided to feature it here. << Find this Book on Amazon.com >>
| ![[Book Cover Page: Iqbal]](images/books/iqbal.jpg "Iqbal")