Bacha Bazi

I read the article about the stolen boys, the abused boys years after they got away from their captors. I am absolutely appalled that it is customary and normal in Afghanistan for older men to kidnap and rape young boys and not get in trouble at all. Although it shouldn't, it still shocks me that after they escape, some boys will turn into kidnappers themselves. The fact that it is accepted for older men to take younger boys and force them to dress up as women and dance and then rape them make absolutely no sense to have as an accepted custom.

To exhibit sociological mindfulness and empathy, I am putting myself in the shoes of the Afghani boys who are kidnapped. If I were them, I would be so afraid every day of my kidnapped life. At any moment I could be raped or forced to dress up as a lady and dance for other men, then get raped after that. I have been stolen from my home and my family and am now being used as a sex slave, and my captor will get no punishments from this because it is legal for him to do this to me. Fear grips me every time I am forced to dance, and once I escape, I will not know how to do anything other than dance and have sex. All I have done my whole life is function as a male prostitute and be afraid.