The Impact of Human Trafficking For Children
Guest Post: Hosai Mojaddidi
But force not your maids to prostitution when they desire chastity, in order that ye may make a gain in the goods of this life. But if anyone compels them, yet after such compulsion, is Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (to them)
~Quran, Chap 24, Verse 33
*TRIGGER WARNING*
Last night I finished watching the Netflix documentary series The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
EVERY PARENT NEEDS TO SEE THIS. PLEASE.
It is a real life HORROR story that is so unbelievably disturbing but so necessary to watch for MULTIPLE reasons.
I had known about this tragic story for years but didn’t have all the details. The documentary is a high quality production with incredible research and detail. It shows the entire timeline from the abduction in 2007 until 2018.
Just to keep it real, parts of it, like the re-enactments are horrifying. The vicious media attacks the poor parents had to endure as well as the blatant evil of specific people who were supposed to be “helpers” are also painful to process. Additionally, learning about how globally widespread pedophilia is and how 80% of the trafficking on the “dark web” is centered around children just shattered me.
The level of evil and depravity of some human DEMONS (not beings) is beyond comprehension, but makes a perfect case for why Hellfire exists. May God destroy all those who prey on the most innocent and vulnerable. Amin.
Much of the series was VERY triggering for me. I can handle a lot but when it comes to evil towards children, not so much. I lose sleep and breakdown periodically thinking about them, but I’ve accepted for myself that I can’t put my own discomfort before their safety. They need us to be aware and vigilant so we can help them. But if we push away these things from our line of sight then we’re NOT helping them, we’re helping the traffickers.
LOOKING AWAY FROM THIS PROBLEM IS COMPLACENCY.
It is OUR responsibility and duty to be informed and stay alert.
Obviously, each person has to decide for themselves what they can and can’t handle. For me, this brought out a lot of difficult emotion but I’m motivated now more than ever to further educate myself and use my platform to bring attention to this evil epidemic.
We all know that child abductions are real, but what this story shows is just how fast it can happen and how pervasive and increasingly organized child trafficking is.
If you think these things are problems in “other parts of the world,” then you absolutely need to educate yourself.
Human trafficking is among the world’s most widespread crimes affecting millions of men, women, and CHILDREN every day. It is modern day SLAVERY and it happens everywhere, especially in major cities across the U.S.
Do a search for the nearest major city to you and human trafficking and see what comes up.
Right here in the Bay Area, we have a huge problem of sex trafficking. Check out: https://baatc.org for more information that will shock you as it did me.
Additionally, as Ustadh Joe Bradford pointed out in his post about the dangers of TikTok yesterday, we have to be alert that human trafficking is surfacing from the dark web to specific platforms that are in homes all across the world with unsuspecting victims.
TikTok has 500 million active users EVERY DAY. Traffickers are on the hunt for new victims all the time and they look for those sad, lonely, depressed youth who are so desperate for attention that they spend their days and nights obsessed with their TikTok accounts, willing to talk to anyone who will listen.
PLEASE LET US ALL EDUCATE OURSELVES & STAY ALERT!
Here are some predatory grooming tactics that every parent and teen online should be aware of:
* “Let’s go private.” (leave the public chatroom and create a private chat or move to instant-messaging or phone texting)
* “Where’s your computer in the house?” (to see if parents might be around)
* “Who’s your favorite band? designer? film? gear?” (questions like these tell the groomer more about you so they know what gifts to offer – e.g., concert tickets; Webcam, software, clothes, CDs)
* “I know someone who can get you a modeling job.” (flattery, they figure, will get them everywhere)
* “I know a way you can earn money fast.” (one of the tactics that snagged Justin Berry, 13, into what became his Webcam prostitution business, reported by the New York Times)
* “You seem sad. Tell me what’s bothering you.” (the sympathy schtick)
* “What’s your phone number?” (asking for personal info of any kind – usually happens at a later stage, after the target’s feeling comfortable with the groomer – but all online kids know not to give out personal info online, right?!)
* “If you don’t… [do what I ask], I’ll… [tell your parents OR share your photos in a photo blog / Webcam directory / file-sharing network]” (intimidation – used as the groomer learns more and more about the target)
“You are the love of my life.” (what “Amy,” 15, fell for before traveling out of state to meet someone who’d groomed her – see Amy’s Story” at Netsmartz.org)
For more information: https://www.stopthetraffik.org/a…/what-is-human-trafficking/
May Allah ﷻ protect our children and all innocent victims of modern day slavery, and strengthen us to become vigilant and informed HELPERS. Amin.
