With the name of kind God and greeting to you all interested audience to the discussions of Change in Life Compiegne, in the current program we have discussion about the misuse of children and youngsters in the dance parties and the guests that we are having today are Mr. Mira Noorzad from Children in Danger Office and Spozhmay Saeed from the field office of independence human rights commission in Afghanistan.
Question: Based on your idea what issues are included as the misuse of children?
Answer: Thanks, I would like to say about your question that the misuses that are taken place from the children include uses of affection, physical, sexual and like these other issues; we daily see the children of the streets of Kabul city who are begging, doing heavy and forced work and many examples like these which could be included in the misuses of the children.
From the other side the problem of these children are the poverty, lack of necessary awareness, lack of families attentions but there are another type of children who don’t have families mean that they don’t have caretakers; for this category of children the ministry of labor affairs, social work, martyr and disability is counted as the second family but yet no visible work is done.
Question: Mr. Mirzad; one of the types of the misuse which is really repulsive is making the children and youngsters dance with the dress of females in the marriage parties, based on your opinion these factors will result to which kinds of the problems in the future and personality of the children?
Answer: Yes, there are persons and groups that are misusing the needs of the children; even they are polishing them like the girls and they proud on their action but the fact is that all the people hate them and this is one of the unfavorable action of them.
I can say regarding the personalities of these children who are forced to dance that they would be unstable psychologically, mentally and even these children and youngster will not have confidence on themselves and they will cause many problems in the future.
Question: Ms. Spozhmay; what are the comments of the civil and Islamic laws of the country regarding the misusing of children by forcing them to dance?
Answer: Thank you, first of all I would like to say that dancing the children in our country has long background and regarding this improper and horrid action I would like to say that based on the article 430 of the national constitute of the country; those who are committing these actions should be in middle imprisonment period which should not be less than three years.
In the second paragraph of this article it is mentioned that if the person is doing this action for the sake of money then the doer would be punished for a long period imprisonment which should not exceed a period ten years.
The problems that would be created for these children includes brittle from the family, seclusion from the society, facing sexual harassments and many other problems may raise.
The factors which are resulting because of the lack of awareness from the rights of the children, lack of caretakers and the most important is the economic problems.
Question: What aspects are mentioned based on the Islamic law against the forced dance of the children in the parties?
Answer: The hold religion of Islam has prohibited this unlawful action and it has been mentioned that the children should not be misused, but some of the people in power are influencing and are using the problems and gaps which are available in our society; they are compelling the children and their families for such actions and even this action has an history of more than hundred years in our country.
Question: Mr. Mirzad; based on your views, most of the forced dancing of the children and youngsters are in which parts of our country?
Answer: The hold Prophet (PBUH) said: my biggest worry is that you are not faced with the actions of the nation of Loot (X-Prophet). Similarly, the God says “those two persons who commit this bad venture either hurt them or kill them” and similarly there are many sayings of the holy Prophet and great God in this regard which shows about the prohibition of this action.
In relation to your question; I would like to reply that in the different provinces of the country this unlawful action is implemented by some of the people, for example: one of the friends said that he was invited in one of the marriage parties in Kabul, when they go there during the ceremony they see that some of the boys are brought who were dressed in female dress and were dancing, he left the party in the spot by looking at this action. From the other side there are some people in our society who proud to keep the children and youngsters for this purpose, where this action is improper and prohibited from both religious and social aspects.
Question: Mr. Mirzad; Based on your opinion without the economic factors are there any other factor causing the children and youngsters towards this action?
Answer: Beside the economic problems of the children and youngsters, negligence of the parents could also effect and from the other side the lack of awareness could also be a factor.
Question: Ms. Spozhmai; based on your views, why the people in spite of knowing that these actions are from religious and social aspects are unsound but still they are doing?
Answer: Based on the reports on hand; it shows that some of the commanders and people in power in different areas of the country based on the unsound competition commit these actions; from the other side the lack of awareness among the people can also be caused that people attempt this action.
Also from the other side; the three decades of internal wars caused that the people don’t know the rights of their children and youngsters; similarly the people were also faced with the lack of awareness problems and whenever they are faced with poverty and because of receiving some money, they send their children to the service of some commanders and they also misuse from the economic problems of the families; first they learn them and then they are forced to dance in the parties.
Question: Ms. Spozhmai; what activities have been done regarding this issue by the independent human rights commission?
Answer: Obviously I have to say that as this action is available in the country since years but in the recent year this action is increased to the point that in most of the marriage parties the boys are danced. This is already discussed that who are doing these actions, therefore the independent human rights commission by written has sent letters to the security institutions and meanwhile there were meetings in this regard.
In spite of these activities the presence of people in power and the commanders has caused that this action not decrease; in the meeting that we had with the director of the criminal investigative department of Kabul police; he added that whenever we are catching someone in such crimes then from the higher authorities we are receiving phone calls to release these people, therefore until now our struggles were not too much fruitful.
Question: Ms. Spozhmai; Dis your activities have good results or not?
Answer: Yes, in the workshops, seminars, public awareness programs, through media and other ways like letters to the security concerned institutions and also in the hotels of the city we have communicated that this action is unfair; until they take distance but it is impossible that in the spot it show its effects because this action is from the long years and is remained as a culture here. But the important point is that these efforts will not remain without effects.
Question: Mr. Mirzad; based on your points of view, the punishment that is present for this action based on the laws are enough or there is also a need of change in the law in this regard?
Answer: For sure that the laws of the country in way which is required are not settled and there are the points of escapes for the criminals and therefore these laws also need changes.
Question: What should be done in this regard according your opinions?
Answer: For the purpose of adjustments and better changes, it should be discussed with the institutions working in the area of support of children and a proper action plan for observing the changes and progress should be developed.
Question: Ms. Spozhmai; Are there punishments for those families which are using theirs children for such activities?
Answer: As I mentioned before; these actions are committed by the people in power and these people compel that families so that they give their children to them and if they don’t do this then for sure that the will face harassments and even to the death threats; therefore, from the fear of death and also receiving money they select this action.
Question: Well; what are the benefits from these actions for these people?
Answer: Well; to the extent we have found these actions are done for the purposes of their sexual demands and they also think that by doing these actions they will be looking nice in the society and mostly the monetary aspects are not concerned here.
Question: Mr. Mirzad; is there anyone caught who is charged to these actions and is handed over to the law or not?
Answer: Yes, there are cases available; like recently the Police of Baghlan caught 18 persons who were charged to the cases of misuse of children and also group rape with one child and they were sent to judicial institutions and similarly there are other cases also available but because of the availability of corruption in the government institutions most of these people are not reaching to their real penalties.
Question: Based on your opinions what is the solution for this and how can we come out from this problem?
Answer: For the solution of this problem; the institutions regarding the human rights, civil society institutions, mosque scholars and media should preach and bring awareness among the people regarding the unfairness of this action but one point not to forget that some of the people in our country who are considering themselves as religious scholars are also committing these actions which is extremely shameful for them; but if the struggles are continue to publicize among the people that this is an unfair action then for sure that it will have the effects in the reduction of action.
Question: Mr. Mirzad; in spite of your activities in the capital, is your organization operating in the provinces and has activities concerned to this issue or not?
Answer: Yes, the Organization of Children in Danger is not only operating in capital but it is also working in the five other provinces in the area of awareness among the families and people of the society regarding the rights of the children.
Question: What are the findings of your organization that from which area the children are mostly affected?
Answer: Based on the findings of our organization, most of the children in our country are faced with the economic problems; where this problem caused that the children face the physical, sexual and psychological violence and also many other problem.
Question: Ms. Spozhmai; one of the activities of your organization is to supervise the activities of the government authorities, what are your findings regarding these institutions’ activities?
Answer: Some of the institutions which are having responsibility in this regard have accomplished their activities; for example, whenever the ministry of interior affairs receive our letters they are doing upon these letters and they are directly sending these letters to the city hotels and they have requested the hotels not to allow such actions in the hotels.
Question: Mr. Mirzad; as a final question, what actions are required to be done so that these problems are solved?
Answer: The very important point for consideration is that in our governmental institution no body is hearing; different institutions of the civil society has done their awareness but the government has not yet done any visible activity in this regard to solve the problems
With many thanks from you all that you stayed with us until the end of discussion.
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