Iqbal Masih

“Children should have pens in their hands, not tools”. Iqbal Masih, a former child labourer turned hero, once said. Even twenty-five years after his untimely death, his wise quote lives on, and is a firm reminder of the still ongoing fight against the menace known as child labour. Iqbal Masih was born in Punjab, Pakistan. Because his family was poor, he was put to work at a carpet factory to pay off his family’s debts and make ends meet. The carpet factory was filled with children just like Iqbal, tightly chained to the wall and forced to work days on end, barely getting a break and being paid less than minimum wage. Years after working at the factory, Iqbal decided to make a daring escape, and, upon discovering that child labour was illegal, approached a police officer for assistance. However, the police officer brought Iqbal back to the factory, where his boss threatened him if he dared to attempt escape again. That, of course, Iqbal did. This time, successfully. He went on to attend the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, where he pursued his education. Iqbal spoke to his friends back at the factory, gave speeches publicly, and even attended meetings, in an effort to free children of child labour and persuade others like him to muster the courage to escape from their workplaces. Owners of many companies that depended on cheap child labour threatened Iqbal with death for ruining their businesses. Despite this, Iqbal persevered, unwilling to back down or give up his fight against the exploitation of children. Sadly, shortly after receiving the Rebok Human Rights Award, Iqbal was shot dead while visiting his relatives in the village. The shooter is speculated to be a drug addict tied to Iqbal’s previous owner. Iqbal was only twelve years old at the time. Iqbal’s life ended far too soon. He was a boy with courage and aspirations, with so much of his life ahead of him. He has contributed so much to the world, and has helped liberate many children and adolescents from child labour. He is a great inspiration to youths, a firm reminder to always act on what you believe is right, and an advocate of education. His legacy will live on, even with his untimely passing. References: https://worldschildrensprize.org/iqbal-masih https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iqbal_Masih Valerie Tan 3 Faith