An estimated 50,000 prostitutes, some as young as 13, are among the 1.2 million Iraqis who fled to Syria after Bush invaded.
March 20, 2008 by sparklematrix
Five years after the invasion on Iraq, which generated a wave of political and sectarian violence - killing over 1 million Iraqis and according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, left more than four million Iraqis displaced from their homes, with roughly half of them outside of the country.
Facing starvation, as many as 50,000 women and girls forced into prostitution in Syria alone, according to Hana Ibrahim of the Women’s Will Association.
In addition and according to the Times.
Inexpensive Iraqi prostitutes have helped to make Syria a popular destination for sex tourists from wealthier countries in the Middle East. In the club’s parking lot, nearly half of the cars had Saudi license plates.
Within the above video I can find many criticisms, however, I feel it demonstrates the basic reality of the situation. Though, I would like to add that these women and girls are not purely “victims of war” but also, and more accurately “victims of men who exploit war”
Driving women and girls into prostitution violates numerous human rights agreements, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. George Bush himself denounced sex trafficking at the United Nations in 2003.
Of course, we are very well aware of how historically war generates prostitution, abuse and exploitation of women and children under many guises. Whether it be organised brothels in “R&R” ,or a systematic ‘ethnic cleanse’ combined with the intended and complete degradation of specific cultures as we have seen in Kosovo and the DR Congo (to name but a few) or now, the 20th century opportunist “sex tourist”- every ready to exploit with their dripping privilege and total disregard for human suffering. It just never ends.
Especially if it is female suffering - that is.
When desperation strikes, the men with their money will be at hand in an instant, helping impoverished women to feed themselves and their families - but only if you suck my cock - let me and my mates gang rape you - I don’t give my dollars away for free…you know.
Oh, lookie they say, cheap sex and its young. It’s okay because I didn’t rape her (see above), I used my capitalist patriarchal piggy bank…snort…oink**
Only goes to show, just how little their fancy ‘convention’ of this and oh so clever ‘protocol’ of that really means - when nothing is done to avert, control and then throw the book at the men who are forcing these girls and women into a life of sex slavery.
Words men - just words.
* Of course, no one falls for the - yes but, that’s those “Arab” men, I mean, we are - different…yeah right.
** Not dissing the piggies just the bank.
Rape, forced prostitution; the hidden costs of these wars.
I really don’t have the words.
Except that the male family members that think it is fine to pimp females into sexual slavery deserve something really horrible. On either side of the equation (rapists ‘aka clients’ and pimps ‘aka relatives’
it is males that benefit, and females that suffer.
One of the girls in the video looks about ten! she’s trying to dance sexy - it’s hideous. And that jerk who says he’s doing them a favour by giving them work when, after all, they are destitute. Goddess they have some shit to come back on them.
It reminded me of my time in Thailand where men have destroyed a beautiful country and turned it into a 24/7 brothel.
Yes I should think thirteen is inaccurate - there are probably girls much, much younger than that being raped and abused, because that’s what it is. Money changing hands is neither here nor there….
Just who are ‘the sex tourists flocking to Syria and seeking another different sexual thrill’? Why western men of course - those with the money and means to travel. I can’t recall where precisely but certainly 13 is I believe an inaccurate figure because it is now around 8-9 years of age. How long before it is female little girls of 4-5 years of age?
Oh but these young girls are not being ‘forced’ they are simply ‘choosing to become prostituted girls’ in order to feed their families. So that makes it acceptable does it not? You’re right Sparke these women and girls are not victims of war (so convenient that phrase because it conveniently hides male accountability and demand) rather they are the ones who suffer when males in positions of political power decide invading another country must be done in order to restore democracy.
Whenever there is social disruption the male vultures always descend to prey on women and girls, but they are simply helping these women and children aren’t they? As for the ’sex tourists’ well many of these men claim because they are buying the women and girls they are also helping because the men’s money will go towards feeding the women’s and children’s families. Men abusing these women and girls no, no, it is a free market economy and these men aren’t sexually abusing or raping the women and girls. Such are some of the excuses and justifications Johns make. The men who prey on these women and girls and then turn them into prostituted women do not make such claims iinstead they simply view them as commodities which can be turned into immense profit.
Apparently the numbers of brothels - sorry these are night clubs not brothels apparently, have doubled in number since refugee Iraqi women and girls have sought refuge in Syria. Reality is there is no difference between western white males and so-called ‘Arab males’ buying women and girls in order to rape and sexually degrade them. But it makes white western men feel superior compared to those ‘Arabs.’
I only just got up the courage to watch the video
At the end of the video, it is clear that quite a few girls are prepubescent.
That sleezy night club owner, saying he paid the girls $20-30 per night for ‘dancing’. Yet there is footage of the “girls being showered with money” and collected up by boys. I bet that the wads of cash go to the pocket of the
pimpnightclub owner.Again, it is males profiting from female misfortune.
It makes me sick.
They are using the “13 year old” as a smokescreen as we know that 13-16 is in the so called ‘grey area’
This is trafficking including pedophilia and they are not even trying to deny it. Wow! they even have the audacity to let people film inside their brothels.
Gawd I’m furious!
Comments made to me when I try to discuss this overall issue, from the perspective of a feminist.
“Some are ready earlier”. {var: she wanted it. }
“Ok. Yah ok. But I am not a feminist.”
“I don’t understand why they hate us. We are just trying to bring democracy to them. Why do they hate us?”
Seriously. In the last week. White, middle class. Two men and a woman.
I just throb you know? Like a stubbed toe. I can’t think past it.
…but thankfully, no Iraqi men have been abused, or harmed in any way by the invasion. PHEW!
I just wanted to thank you women for what you have done for us. You see, many years ago, my colleagues and I made a grasp for power. We knew that power is only had when it is removed from somebody else. We sought destroy the very base unit of all power, which is the family, and consume that power for ourselves. And so, we started the feminist movement in order to destabilize society, break up the family, and give us more power over the children of those families, as well as the minds of the parents themselves.
We never dreamed it would go as well as it has. But thanks to the hard work and dedication of my fellow illuminates, we have successfully removed the mantle of power from the common man, and made it our own. We have solidified our control over the world’s economy, politicians, and populous with this newfound power.
And we have feminism partially to thank.
And while women do not make up any of our elite illuminates, they have proven an incredibly valuable asset to our cause and drive towards a new world order. They are much easier to influence than men. In the future, we would rather the majority of the entire populous be female. It would allow us to run things much more smoothly.
When we are ready to unite you underneath one banner, it will be women who demand to give up the last of their freedoms in exchange for security. Security which you have been led to believe couldn’t be had by any other means.
Thank you, women, the weaker sex, for satisfying our insatiable lust for power, and providing the needed vehicle for our conquest.
Sincerely,
Leviathan
A man of men.
leviathan - I am delighted in the power you have afforded us. Now…if you stopped giving your power away, you may start to feel better about yourself.
Asterix - yeah women are selling their male relatives into sex slavery by the dozen…shocking, isn’t it??
You know, I am partially an Arab-American woman (I am Egyptian so I am half African, half Arab) and every time I read articles like these and then hear sex-poz “feminists” claim that prostitution is “empowering” it makes me want to vomit. Even though I claim solidarity with all women, regardless of race or ethnicity, it really hits me to the core to see other Arab women being brought to this state of servitude and degradation. And to think that there are rapist Western and Saudi men exploiting these women, raping them, all the while claiming that it’s “for their own good.” It makes me sick. And I feel so powerless to do anything too, which makes it a thousand times worse. I wonder if there’s some sort of organization trying to fight the prostitution of Iraqi women and girls?
Hi Lara - yes Madra has quite a bit going on.
http://madre.org/index.html
Aw Sparkle, you do get them don’t you?
Unfortunately leviathan’s comment isn’t quite funny enough for Trollbuster’s World’s Funniest MRA Trolls.
Better luck next time leviathan. You might want to contact Dick Masterson for some tips on the funnies. You need catch phrases like “manmazing mansterpiece” and “manspiration”. I don’t want to blow the lid on the secret of Dick’s clever wit, but it could involve corrupting known words to contain the prefix “man”. And to back up this manmazing wit, add things like “girls are icky”.
I look forward to your next attempt, and trust it will show significant improvement.
sincerely
Trollbuster
Hi Trollbuster - yeah, thought I’d let that one through as an example of a crapatastic mantempt at sarcasm.
I like to think of them as ikkle mice running around the Matrix totally unaware of the traps that lie in wait.
*snap*
Leviathan
Three points. Firstly I AM a twelve foot blood drinking lizard and fully paid up member of the Illuminati. (Which is what I presume you meant by “illuminates”)How very dare you?
Secondly - so prefeminism, everybody lived in happy nuclear families did they? Please learn some social science/ history. The nuclear family only became ’standard’ in western, advanced capitalist countries for a very brief period in the mid 20th century. In non western societies, alternative social structures have always been the norm.
Thirdly - you mean ‘populace’ (the general population), not populous (having a large number of people). Are you JohnnyTroll by any chance - cos he made the same spelling mistake, or can MRA’s just not spell?
Just spelling I think Polly, IP different…though I once had a troll on here with about 6.
Oh yeah Levi, here’s a rather fetching picture when they head hunted ME for the Illuminati.
http://members.aol.com/MadArtCtr3/rain/lizard.jpg
“Just who are ‘the sex tourists flocking to Syria and seeking another different sexual thrill’? Why western men of course”
Actually, half of them are Saudi and the rest are from Kuwait and other nearby countries according to that video. These are Arab men so you can kindly stfu about the evil western men. Thanks
Just to get something straight here jon. Don’t come onto this blog and tell anyone to stfu…m’k?
Of course western men will be visiting Syria, it isn’t called “sex tourism” for nothing. Men travel around the globe on a regular basis for cheap and or underage sex. I saw it with my own eyes jon in Thailand…yes the Johns were mostly European, American and Australian and all on the hunt for cheap (and mostly borderline or underage) sex.
And what about the brothels set up courtesy of the post wars western military that are scattered all over the world?
But even in Thailand, the vast majority of johns are local men. Yes, military presence has made a few areas in particular a hot spot for western men looking for sex. But it’s nothing close to destroying their country and turning it into a “24/7 brothel”. Maybe you’d like to hear it from a fellow feminist. http://www.reclusiveleftist.com/?p=279
“Prostitution is almost universally engaged in by Thai men and has been for centuries, though the American military presence seems to have clearly contributed to Thailand’s modern emergence as a sex destination for foreigners.”
So sexual abuse is all right if it’s brown people doing it to brown people then? Glad we got that clear……
Well yeah Sparks, Johnny could be using internet cafes or the library. Just thought it was an amazing co-incidence that’s all to have two new world order obsessed trolls who make the same not very common spelling mistake on the same blog.
Oh on the subject of the NWO can I recommend Jon Ronson’s ‘Them’ - hilarious.
And you know, I’m no expert on Thailand either, but I think Dr Socks analysis that they are just continuing a Thai tradition is a bit incomplete. What you have to add in is what my Malaysian friend pointed out to me - the relative poverty of Thailand to it’s neighbours. She said “yes we all used to say when I was young that Thai girls are all prostitutes, but in Malaysia we have profitable industries”. Anyway again, Western men do make up some of the clientele of most sex tourism spots, the fact that some of the other clientele are non white is neither here nor there, it’s still abuse.
Unless as (the last sentence of the post which you conveniently missed) Jennifer points out.
“it makes white western men feel superior compared to those ‘Arabs.’”
Because we have no local prostitution in western countries at all do we?
Jon I am well aware that Thai men use prostituted women with impunity. I have travelled around Thailand and I’ve stayed in the Patpong area of Bangkok and believe me it is not Thai men fuelling the “sex industry” in Bangkok… its western men.
Yeah Polly I have a friend who’s going to loan me that book (when she gets around to digging it out of her attic)
That is just not true. The stuff that gets reported in the media is only a very small part of the entire sex industry in Thailand. Some studies show that over 95% of Thai men over 21 have visited a prostitute at least once. The go-go bars, bright lights and the loud music you see on tv is not where this usually happens. Instead it’s dirty run down shacks with tiny rooms located all over the country. You mean to tell me that a handful (compared to local men) of western men are “fueling the sex industry” of Thailand?
In the Patpong area of Bangkok, night after night, all I witnessed was Western, US, and Australian men frequenting the brothels AND bringing girls/women back to the hotel I was staying in. In my comment I did not say ALL of Thailand I said the Patpong area which is notorious in the Thai sex industry.
It’s called “sex tourism” and western men travel the globe to find women to exploit as cheaply as they can. They even have forums set up for them to *share* their experiences and to get tips on the ‘best buys’
You cannot tell me that western men are some sort of ‘innocents’ in this.
And yet again Jon. Why does it matter? Is this some sort of “Western men are innocent Ok, it’s just those nasty wogs* and what can you expect of them” campaign? Is it mayhap - racism? Western men use prosititutes,as do non western men - does it matter if it’s in their own countries or abroad?
*apologies if anyone is offended by this racist term, but I thought in the context it was appropriate.
No, western men aren’t innocent. They’ve made an already huge industry even bigger. I’m just tired of people saying stuff like how western men have “destroyed a beautiful country” and turned it into a brothel or something.
In comment 2… I said.
“It reminded me of my time in Thailand where men have destroyed a beautiful country and turned it into a 24/7 brothel.”
Note ‘men’
I then went on to say, how in my experience of actually having travelled around Thailand including the infamous Patpong area that I imnsho (ta Polly) witnessed western men fueling Thailand’s commercial sex industry…not Thai men or other men from surrounding countries.
I recently watched a documentary by an anthropologist who described Thailand’s sex industry as their ‘new god’ so fuck Buddha and that the commercial sex industry is being fueled by demand and money from more affluent countries from the west.
Now jon if you are not ‘one of those men’ then why worry? just please stop the racism.
Yes jon and I’m tired of men demanding prostituted women.
Sigh - excuses, excuses excuses. The core issue is that it is male demand which is fuelling the ever increasing numbers of women and girls globally being sold into sexual slavery.
White western men need not take the so-called ‘higher moral ground’ because ’sex tourism’ is always geared towards attracting ever increasing numbers of white western men to countries where women and girls can be bought oh so cheaply.
Here in the UK women and girls are sold into sexual slavery and not all are trafficked into the UK rather they are trafficked internally for UK men’s consumption. So it is with other countries because for example, many men in these countries expect a plentiful supply of their own countrywomen to be made available for them, so that these men can rape and sexually abuse them.
But we must not ignore the fact international male demand is also fuelling the demand and adding to the problem because western men travel to so-called ‘exotic’ countries expecting to be sexually serviced by so-called ‘exotic and submissive’ women and girls.
The international male demand for women’s and girls’ bodies is being fuelled as Sparkle rightly said by the commercial sex industry which exploits women and girls plus men arriving from more affluent countries. Coalition Against the Trafficking In Women has excellent evidence concerning the complexities of the international sexual exploitation and sexual slavery of women and girls.
Instead of claiming ‘but it has nothing to do with us, those men who refuse to accept the myth that male sexuality is a biological given and therefore a huge number of women and girls must be made available for male consumption, should speak out against female sexual slavery instead of claiming ‘but it is those non-western men who are the problem.’
Thanks Jennifer - I did mean to add that men need to stop worrying about generic men’s reputations and speak out in regards to human rights issues i.e. “women are human too” but as you’ve said, that can only happen when they give up the ‘biological given’ nonsense.
Jon, I kindly ask you to STFU and kiss my sandnigger bitch ass.
Really.
Incredible the gall you have to absolve you and your race’s responsibility in the suffering you have caused us Arab and North African women. Let me tell you right now, the first guys here in the US to exoticize me and hypersexualize me are WHITE AMERICAN MEN: “ohhh, you’re Egyptian, can you bellydance??…” while winking and nudging their other American male friends.
The only reason you’re defensive, Johnny Boy, is because you or one of your precious Western friends has probably paid to rape some woman or girl in Thailand or the Middle East.
Disgusting. Stop trying to conjure up the “scary brown men who oppress THEIR women!” bullshit here. We’re rad fems we don’t fall for that crap.
And we certainly don’t need the likes of you coming on your white stallion and “saving” us brown women. Damnit. Apologies for the spurt of cussing that just pisses me the hell off.
No apologies needed Lara. He right pissed me off.
“And we certainly don’t need the likes of you coming on your white stallion and “saving” us brown women.”
*SNIP*
By Sparkle - you didn’t know I could do that did you jon?
Hey 33rd - yr unstable get treatment immediately.