Islamic Fundamentalism and the Sex Slave Trade in Iran
Donna M. Hughes
Professor & Carlson Endowed Chair Women’s Studies Program University of Rhode Island
A measure of Islamic fundamentalists’ success in controlling society is the depth and totality with which they suppress the freedom and rights of women. In Iran for 25 years, the ruling mullahs have enforced humiliating and sadistic rules and punishments on women and girls, enslaving them in a gender apartheid system of segregation, forced veiling, second-class status, lashing, and stoning to death.
Joining a global trend, the fundamentalists have added another way to dehumanize women and girls: buying and selling them for prostitution. Exact numbers of victims are impossible to obtain, but according to an official source in Tehran, there has been a 635 percent increase in the number of teenage girls in prostitution. The magnitude of this statistic conveys how rapidly this form of abuse has grown. In Tehran, there are an estimated 84,000 women and girls in prostitution, many of them are on the streets, others are in the 250 brothels that reportedly operate in the city. The trade is also international: thousands of Iranian women and girls have been sold into sexual slavery abroad.
The head of Iran’s Interpol bureau believes that the sex slave trade is one of the most profitable activities in Iran today. This criminal trade is not conducted outside the knowledge and participation of the ruling fundamentalists. Government officials themselves are involved in buying, selling, and sexually abusing women and girls.
Many of the girls come from impoverished rural areas. Drug addiction is epidemic throughout Iran, and some addicted parents sell their children to support their habits. High unemployment – 28 percent for youth 15-29 years of age and 43 percent for women 15-20 years of age ‑ is a serious factor in driving restless youth to accept risky offers for work. Slave traders take advantage of any opportunity in which women and children are vulnerable. For example, following the recent earthquake in Bam, orphaned girls have been kidnapped and taken to a known slave market in Tehran where Iranian and foreign traders meet.
Popular destinations for victims of the slave trade are the Arab countries in the Persian Gulf. According to the head of the Tehran province judiciary, traffickers target girls between 13 and 17, although there are reports of some girls as young as 8 and 10, to send to Arab countries. One ring was discovered after an 18 year-old girl escaped from a basement where a group of girls were held before being sent to Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. The number of Iranian women and girls who are deported from Persian Gulf countries indicates the magnitude of the trade. Upon their return to Iran, the Islamic fundamentalists blame the victims, and often physically punish and imprison them. The women are examined to determine if they have engaged in “immoral activity.” Based on the findings, officials can ban them from leaving the country again.
Police have uncovered a number of prostitution and slavery rings operating from Tehran that have sold girls to France, Britain, Turkey, as well. One network based in Turkey bought smuggled Iranian women and girls, gave them fake passports, and transported them to European and Persian Gulf countries. In one case, a 16-year-old girl was smuggled to Turkey, and then sold to a 58-year-old European national for $20,000.
In the northeastern Iranian province of Khorasan, local police report that girls are being sold to Pakistani men as sex-slaves. The Pakistani men marry the girls, ranging in age from 12 to 20, and then sell them to brothels called “Kharabat” in Pakistan. One network was caught contacting poor families around Mashad and offering to marry girls. The girls were then taken through Afghanistan to Pakistan where they were sold to brothels.
In the southeastern border province of Sistan Baluchestan, thousands of Iranian girls reportedly have been sold to Afghani men. Their final destinations are unknown.
One factor contributing to the increase in prostitution and the sex slave trade is the number of teen girls who are running away from home. The girls are rebelling against fundamentalist imposed restrictions on their freedom, domestic abuse, and parental drug addictions. Unfortunately, in their flight to freedom, the girls find more abuse and exploitation. Ninety percent of girls who run away from home will end up in prostitution. As a result of runaways, in Tehran alone there are an estimated 25,000 street children, most of them girls. Pimps prey upon street children, runaways, and vulnerable high school girls in city parks. In one case, a woman was discovered selling Iranian girls to men in Persian Gulf countries; for four years, she had hunted down runaway girls and sold them. She even sold her own daughter for US$11,000.
Given the totalitarian rule in Iran, most organized activities are known to the authorities. The exposure of sex slave networks in Iran has shown that many mullahs and officials are involved in the sexual exploitation and trade of women and girls. Women report that in order to have a judge approve a divorce they have to have sex with him. Women who are arrested for prostitution say they must have sex with the arresting officer. There are reports of police locating young women for sex for the wealthy and powerful mullahs.
In cities, shelters have been set-up to provide assistance for runaways. Officials who run these shelters are often corrupt; they run prostitution rings using the girls from the shelter. For example in Karaj, the former head of a Revolutionary Tribunal and seven other senior officials were arrested in connection with a prostitution ring that used 12 to 18 year old girls from a shelter called the Center of Islamic Orientation.
Other instances of corruption abound. There was a judge in Karaj who was involved in a network that identified young girls to be sold abroad. And in Qom, the center for religious training in Iran, when a prostitution ring was broken up, some of the people arrested were from government agencies, including the Department of Justice.
The ruling fundamentalists have differing opinions on their official position on the sex trade: deny and hide it or recognize and accommodate it. In 2002, a BBC journalist was deported for taking photographs of prostitutes. Officials told her: “We are deporting you … because you have taken pictures of prostitutes. This is not a true reflection of life in our Islamic Republic. We don’t have prostitutes.” Yet, earlier the same year, officials of the Social Department of the Interior Ministry suggested legalizing prostitution as a way to manage it and control the spread of HIV. They proposed setting-up brothels, called “morality houses,” and using the traditional religious custom of temporary marriage, in which a couple can marry for a short period of time, even an hour, to facilitate prostitution. Islamic fundamentalists’ ideology and practices are adaptable when it comes to controlling and using women.
Some may think a thriving sex trade in a theocracy with clerics acting as pimps is a contradiction in a country founded and ruled by Islamic fundamentalists. In fact, this is not a contradiction. First, exploitation and repression of women are closely associated. Both exist where women, individually or collectively, are denied freedom and rights. Second, the Islamic fundamentalists in Iran are not simply conservative Muslims. Islamic fundamentalism is a political movement with a political ideology that considers women inherently inferior in intellectual and moral capacity. Fundamentalists hate women’s minds and bodies. Selling women and girls for prostitution is just the dehumanizing complement to forcing women and girls to cover their bodies and hair with the veil.
In a religious dictatorship like Iran, one cannot appeal to the rule of law for justice for women and girls. Women and girls have no guarantees of freedom and rights, and no expectation of respect or dignity from the Islamic fundamentalists. Only the end of the Iranian regime will free women and girls from all the forms of slavery they suffer.
The author wishes to acknowledge the Iranian human rights and pro-democracy activists who contributed information for this article. If any readers have information on prostitution and the sex slave trade in Iran, please contact me at [email protected]
Dr. Donna M. Hughes is a Professor and holds the Carlson Endowed Chair in Women’s Studies at the University of Rhode Island
thanks to you, krim, for this eye-opener. i would urge all users of this forum who advocate the creation of an islamic republic in morocco (and i know that there are many of them on this forum: don't be afraid to come out of the closet, if only for the sake of contributing to the debate) to read it and meditate upon it real hard. speaking of contribution,i'd like to bring mine: some of my students, who are iranian refuges in england, have let me in on another "charming" practice of the iranian police (who, it's worth reiterating, work as guardians of the moral values underpinning the islamic republic): when a female is arrested on alleged morality charges (for example,for having been accused of having sexual relationships out of the marriage lock, or on prostitution charges), the police makes it a point to rape her on the way down to the police station, because "no woman should die as a virgin". charming, isn't it? well, that's it for the tales of the gloomy side of life......
when it comes to women rights. iran is giving bad image how islam treats woman when i see Sherin Aabadi giving speech in iran wearing head scarf (not hijab) once outside she does not ,when i see my iranian friend that went thru many pressures in iran comes here throwing everything to do with islam identity ,drinking alcohol, getting married with a non muslim..etc (it is her choice i never judge her) i feel sorry .one fact is the majority of iranians women are not conservative and they are even ultra liberal it is just sad to see them forced to do thing that they don t believe in .about the sex business those monsters has no nationality they keeps changing skin and technique .
khadijaox81... even if i think that "no woman should die a virgin" is a very funny story...
i dont think you are very serious... come on, since when Iran is a model muslim country? there is a lot of Islamic values they dont follow. of course, i could just say something cheap and worthless like "they are chiites"... but, it's not very sophisticated...
but in the other hand, if you gave a neutral view on Iran, you would see that their system got some qualities, i like the military service for everyone idea... it's great.
and by the way, how dare you to link things like rapes and Islam?
if you cared, you would know that Islam forbids forced sex (rape) even on SLAVES... d do you understand? a muslim doesnt have the right to rape his own slave...
jeez, you should get some quality informations before making a "healthy debate"... because "those who advocate the creation of an islamic republic" wont take you seriously if you bring useless arguments like that.
honestly, i take it as a plain insult, just an unhonest attempt to insult and make "us" look ridiculous...
who is the moron who would like the creation of an Islamic republic if he thought that Islam is bad or stupid...
Sorry Krim, My friend, it seems to me you have sometime to bring all the proves you can get and all the scripts you ever read to make a point and prove your case, ochouf tchouf, sometimes even with photos and documents and still some are “Taret maaza”. yawm said,
Unfortunately, I could watch the channel4 video (bloody firewall!)... but the idea of "islamic republic of Morocco" my goodness, it just gave me the creeps!!! but let's get back to sex slavery and other stuff, why focusing on Iran? if there are case similar in the States, in China, in Israel, in Chile, in Morocco, that exists everywhere. But it seems that the trend nowadays is "Iran", why? just let's write any stupid article and tell pelple that those guys are "BADDDDD" we are "GOOOOOD". and then give any reason for war! and people would buy it! let's destroy that evil country that rapes women, tortures innocent, subjugates people that want democracy, etc... I don't like the regimes in many countries, Iran included, but why do we look at other countries but our own.
lemask and sarah70 : if it wasn't for the fact that most of you got me wrong, i'd be happy to see that my contribution created such controversy. sorry guys, i may have expressed myself in a way that led you to misinterpret my words . please allow me to explain myself here: about an islamic republic in morocco: this refers to those many people (i am not one of them) who woud like to see morocco becoming a country governed by islam, where the shariaa is strictly applied, on the model of pakistan or iran. i m not saying that morocco isn't a muslim country already, just that many people think that it could be much more muslim (and therefore, in their eyes, much better and much more respectable,whatever this means) by becoming a formal islamic republic. now for lemask's comments about my alleged linking of islam and rape: lemask, with all the respect that i owe you, may i ask you what made you jump to the conclusion that i was linking islam and rapes? everything i said was in reaction to the article, which makes it clear that it isn't islam itself which is to blame, but 1) an extremist, totalitarian attitude towards it 2) the despicable lack of respect that many iranian males have come to display and openly express towards women since the values underpinning the islamic republic of iran explicitely or implicitely allow them to maintain women under their thumb. all i did was to share the testimonies of some iranian students i teach, as i think that it's always better to hear things "out of the horse's mouth". the message i wanted to send accross was that we should watch out: watch out for those who, under whichever banner, be it islam or anything else, try to sell us out. i believe that those people have a political agenda which doesn't cater for our interests but theirs. the example of what's happening in iran shows it very well, i think. as i always say, ignorance is a choice. and lemask: yes i do know that islam forbids rape and i'm certainly not trying to make us appear ridiculous. you have no reason to feel insulted, nor to be so aggressive. i would've happily explained myself earlier on if you'd asked, instead of reacting so defensively. so chill out.
khadijaox81, you were very clear in what you said, but selfcriticism isn't a built-in feature in some.
Questioning anything even remotely related to islam triggers a bug in the software, it starts printing the same repetitive speech Maybe someone will come up with a patch that can circumvent that glitch.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2006 04:37 by chelhman.
chelhman stop it, you dont know me to talk that way about me. so plz... (and we arent here to talk about me)
khadijaox81, you got me wrong aswell. we are humans we make mistakes, i misinterpret what you say sometimes, but i think that you misinterpret me aswell.
what i want is to make the muslim world into an Islamic republic... but why? it's because i think that all our problems come from a lack of faith. we believe in god. god told us to live following the muslim life style the prophet Mohammed gave us. and in this life style, things like rape/murder and injustice werent allowed. do you understand? this life style was to protect us.
if you believe in god, god is then the creator, he knows you better than any human on earth. it's like when you buy a computer, the man who made this computer told you to plug it on 220V... so YOU PLUG IT ON 220V... because he is the creator, he knows what he is saying...
but if you are dumb and plug it on 300V to have a more powerful computer and burn your machine... dont come crying like a child and damning god for this miserable life... you did it to yourself...
so i just say that the way we live right now, we are heading right to destruction... we are burning the wood supporting our house... it wont last long.
and yes, i wish we could make a republic like in Iran... but not with the same laws as Iran. and by the way, it could be a good way to save Iran (if you care)... we could give them the exemple.
and chelhman, i dont care for money... being poor isnt a problem for me. rather be a poor honest man than a rich hated man. and hard working people arent poor. you shouldnt adapt to this world guys... look around you, the world is in bad shape.
and i'm interested in "solutions"... you just spit on my ideas and give me no solutions...
you have a better solution to our problems, we are all ears...
Chelhman I have a dream, I wish God can talk to me in real time and without intermediate. I am still waiting. On the 27 of Ramadan I did not get any phone call. What about you ?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2006 05:27 by Krim.
LeMask, my dear nervous friend, when did I spit on your ideas ?
I analyse everything you say and provide you with an articulated answer, well... at least when it made sense.
For the solutions, unlike you, I don't believe religion is a panacea. But for each particular field, there are alternatives. We've covered some across our past debates, we'll get to the others as they present themselves.
However, it doesn't help to have people hellbent on creating clashes because they feel inadequate, that's exactly what the people preaching for an islamic republic are doing. It is not adaptable to the 21st century but you can read our previous discussions, I've covered that as well.
Quote Krim Chelhman I have a dream, I wish God can talk to me in real time and without intermediate. I am still waiting. On the 27 of Ramadan I did not get any phone call. What about you ?
A3oudoubillah ! What are you saying ? You wanna get us killed ?
chelhman and krim, all you need to know from god is in our books. Muslims (as an exemple) read the Coran when they want to "talk" to god... you want to have a "communication" with god? go read the Coran (works only if you are muslim), if you arent, then i dont know...
and god isnt a man with more knowledge than you... communication with god goes only in one way, from him toward you... you have nothing to teach him. okay?
and Chelhman, i dont agree with you for one bit. god didnt gave us this way of life for the time of the prophet alone... it's working forever...
he gave us universal principles that works (on human beings)...
when god asks to not kill women and non-combatants in a war... he didnt say "just this century, and next do as you please"... it's FOREVER... and i wont let you contradict me on this kind of points. for me it's the basic knowledge about Islam. if you dont know what i'm talking about, you can ask questions... or go learn about your own religion. it wont harm you.
the problem is that you are stuck... your minds are stuck in the present, you dont see very far...
you know me chelhman, i spent a lot of time here complaining about governments, politics and the military...
and looks like you dont agree with me.
you know, as muslims we have an economic system... we have our own economic system... why arent we using it? i dont trust the capitalist model... nor the communist one... but i'm forced to live in a capitalist world... why i cant make my own system? i'm not alone, i know plenty of people who would follow me.
i dont trust my government... i hate most of what they are doing, but why i cant change it?
i dont give a damn about frontiers, for me all the muslims are brothers... i dont believe in countries, i believe in an Oumma... where is this oumma? while there is plenty of people who think like me...
the UN have principle, and it's called the autodetermination of the people...
give the Tunisian people an army, and you will see how they love their government...
give the Algerian a way to get rid of the government and the army... and you will see how they care for their governments...
you take money for religion... you mistake wealth with civilization...
Somebody said once "religion was invented to rule people" (Freud, was it?), "religion is for the weak" (this one I guess... Machiaveli). were they killed? punished for what they said? nope, today we study them! Imagine this said in an Arab country (we get jailed for lesser things than that, don't we?). If we are really moslem, we have to let people decide their faiths "Lah a3bodo mah ta3boudun ... lakum dinukum, wa liya dini", God said that, it has to be based on respect. anyways... Krim, you know why you didn't get a phone call? because there were no more credits. LOL About computers? I was sure it was the devil who created that!!!! peace for all;
Just don't know what to tell you, Bro, it's just too goddam much, and it kills me to hear some who were lucky to escape poverty in their countries trying to convert their host countries, as if these countries don't have their own religion that should be respected. You got to be smoking some good stuff to think like that, or to even say it as a joke. Good day man,
Quote LeMask and looks like you dont agree with me
You see ? You just perouse what I write, you don't actually read. I never said everything is fine, I agree that the world as it is, won't be sustainable forever. But, as I already told you, religion is not the answer, it's a faith, nothing more.
It WAS a system of government designed to rule in a less complex time but now it's not viable. The only plausible scenario where it could apply, is to convert everyone to islam. That's why the psychos roaming our societies are so excited, they're on an 8th century time zone, they're out to convert everyone.
And behind the screens, the pupeteers pulling their strings are people who couldn't care less about religion but are using them as a scarecrow for various political, geostrategic and financial purposes. Again, take a step back, make yourself a kass dyal atay and look at the chessboard.
Next time you write, let me hear you say : eureka !
LeMask I did not say I want to discuss with God. I just want him to talk to me I will be satisfied with a one way as you said. So read carefully the messages. God is able to change perople´s mind. So if one of us is thinking the wrong way,God should actually make him think in the right direction. Why should God let some people not to belive in him. He create everything and shape brains. Why do brains think differently. What are the criteria ? Why sould a human being be born in Finnland or Japan in a non muslim environment where he has almost no chance to read the Coran. Is it his fault not to brought in contact with the Coran. God is able to give birth to a human being with a copy of the coran already saved in the brain. Why not ? It does´nt happen that you ask such questions ??? May be such questions are brought to my mind by the devil ???who knows
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2006 09:08 by Krim.
chelhman NO! i refuse that. we arent christians or jews... our religion went much further than the rest. we have an economic system, and very long heritage of laws and justice... we have plenty of things to do...
we CANT be like the occidental world, we arent like them, they are different...
they had kings and a clergy, we DONT have a clergy.
religion isnt in the state, but in the individual in our countries. so religion HAVE to be part of the state. no church = no need for separation with the church and the state...
put that in your head once for all... what is working in Europe isnt supposed to work in our countries, we ARE DIFFERENT.
people like you are responsible of fanatism and extremism... moderate people abandonned their religion... so only the extremists and the fanatics are still defending the religion and the way of god... we should all try to live with our religion... while we lie to ourselves, we push the extremists to take power... and when the people would be looking to care about religion, they will find only extremists and fanatics to guide them.
Hi Guys! It's been a crazy time and I just wanted to check in and say I still read from time to time...but I can't find the time to contribute...pretty hot stuff in here! Sex, Slavery and Fundamentalism...Wow!!! Good day to all. Yani
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