Combining Domestic and Foreign Trafficking Sources

Here's a story to prove that human trafficking is a global problem.

According to a CNN Story reported July 12 by Michael Martinez and Chandrika Narayan, a woman who was later identified as a Saudi Arabian princess has been charged with one count of human trafficking after multiple "domestic slaves" were found in her California home.

That's right, domestic slaves.

The slave who came forward actually managed to escape from the home of 42-year-old Meshael Alayban when she got on a public bus and subsequently received help from a fellow bus passenger.  She is a native of Kenya who was trafficked to Saudi Arabia in March, 2012, for her services. She was under the impression that "her salary was set at $1,600 a month for working eight hours a day, five days a week." However, once she arrived at Alayban's family's home in Saudi Arabia,  she was surprised when her passport was taken away, and "she was paid only $220 a month and forced to work 16 hours a day, seven days a week." She arrived in California at Alayban's home this past May, along with four other girls who carried "similar contracts."

This particular case impacts three countries (at least based on the knowledge of this particular story). The now emancipated slave came to Saudi Arabia (one) from Kenya (two), and was eventually illegally moved to the United States (three). Why aren't governments - particularly, the United States, the apparent Land of the Free - paying more attention to potential trafficking situations?

For one, it could look like racial profiling in disguise. It is a common assumption (again, based on films like Taken) that human trafficking only takes place outside the United States. If our government spends time investigating homes such as the vacation home of Meshael Alayban, no doubt some advocacy group will take a stand - without evidence - and claim racial profiling along the lines of, "aren't you only investigating their home because they're Arabic?"

However, even the article states that there is legislation in place in California to combat human trafficking. Proposition 35 passed this past November, which "increased the penalty for human trafficking" within the state of California. Perhaps a monetary penalty and increased prison time is not enough of an incentive - regular home inspections of suspicious households may do the job. (Click here for a full outline from the State of California of Proposition 35).

I want so badly to say that I have a solution - and as difficult as this is for me to admit - the truth is that I don't. It's easy for me to say that home inspections need to be more frequent, perhaps be a precedent not just in California but everywhere. However, I'm not familiar enough with home privacy laws to know what a good solution would be - just when does Big Brother get too big? Is it possible that even with further enforcement of legislation, those who want to traffic would still find a way? Especially royalty of another country - would it not make sense to say that Saudi Arabian royals would have resources to continue to traffic in disguise?

There is one thing that I do know for sure - even going off my last post on Muammar Gaddafi - even trusted leaders of nations are guilty of the crime of human trafficking. Whatever the solution is (at least in the United States) even world leaders need to be subject to it.

An unsurprising development

Former Libyan Dictator Muammar Gaddafi

In spite of his recent death, former Libyan Dictator Muammar Gaddafi is already an internationally recognized tyrant - even before the story broke that reveals that he was a participant in sex slavery.

An online story published by DNAIndia.com gives a brief account retold to reporter Annick Cojean about a 15-year-old victim of Gaddafi's participation in sex slavery. The girl is given the pseudonym "Soraya." Soraya's full story is published in her book - see Goodreads review.

Gaddafi paid a visit to Soraya's school in 2004 - she was chosen to present him with a bouquet of flowers on purpose as Gaddafi's "people" had Soraya in mind for sex slavery from the beginning of the visit. After the visit, she "was driven for hours through the desert, had blood taken and her breasts measured before being stripped and shaved." After she arrived at Gaddafi's home, she "was escorted to his [Gaddafi's] bedroom and was shocked to find him naked." Soraya learned to believe that Gaddafi's actions were for her own good - he referred to himself as her "Papa," in spite of being dressed in a "thong and low-cut white satin dress."

Apparently, Soraya was not the only victim of Gaddafi's lust. A group of girls - kept around for the same purposes - were regularly instructed to perform oral sex on Gaddafi. He provided Soraya instructions to "watch and learn" while the other girls participated.

The story closes by indicating that even after Gaddafi's death, the families of girls like Soraya have been unforgiving about the girls having sex prior to marriage.

Now, I'm not one for the death penalty. However - before I heard about Gaddafi's double secret homebound brothel, I would be lying if I said that I didn't think he that deserved to die. I don't like to play God - but maybe God had a point by eliminating Gaddafi from humanity, even if it was death by slaying.

Possibly the most entertaining part to the story published online - not necessarily Soraya's story - would have to be the comments. The readership finds Soraya's story to be false, and one even really doesn't have their head on straight when he (she?) cries out "Long live Gaddafi."

It's bad enough that Libya had a tyrannical dictator as its leader for so long - but he had to exemplify his apparent love for oppression by capturing girls like Soraya, and forcing them to perform sexual acts. It's no wonder that the U.S. cannot reduce the list of countries unwilling to cooperate with anti-trafficking legislation - how can foreign governments, such as the government of Libya, for example, participate in such legislation when its leader is an active participant in acts involving sex slavery?

The development may be outrageous, but it isn't surprising. I have to say that after reading this story, I am tempted to pick up Soraya's book. I want to get in touch with the shame that she must feel after being raped by her nation's leader, and with the fear that did not seem to stop her from getting her story out into the public sphere.

Also, shame on the families of these girls. How evil must your God be to not forgive your daughters for being captured for the purposes of sex? For all you know, they may have been trying to protect you by not speaking out. Not to say that it's not awful to be part of a brothel in any capacity, but if you're in custody of your nation's dictator, you never know. Your parents - who are now unforgiving of your acts - could have gone to jail for your speaking out.

Trafficking: Not just a European issue...that you see in The Movies

Welcome to my no-nonsense commentary and review of the worldwide problem of human trafficking. 

If you believe that human trafficking is a problem that only exists overseas, perhaps you've been watching "Taken" just one too many times (see the film's IMDB profile for more information on that caper). 

Not to say that "Taken" is not an extremely powerful vehicle, possibly used to enhance awareness of the worldwide problem of human trafficking. It is a likely story, too - it features naive American female tourists, easily swayed by the alluring prospect of modeling -- and not just modeling, but modeling in Europe. 

However, the problem is not just paramount in Europe, or in Asia, or in Africa -- but it's right here at home. According to a story published by U.S. News via NBC News Online, written by Matthew DeLuca, "nine 7-Eleven store owners and managers who authorities say ran a 'modern-day plantation system,' ... were just one thread in a vast human trafficking and forced labor web that stretches around the world and into American homes." 

Modern-day plantation system is putting it nicely. DeLuca goes on to quote Secretary of State John Kerry, who stated, in essence, that our government loses track of potential trafficking victims. Due to ineffective statistics and cases which are not always reported by trafficking victims, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (brought into effect in 2000) becomes difficult to enforce - at least according to Ambassador Luis C. deBaca, listed in DeLuca's story as the "Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons." 
Stats also indicate that 100,000 children in the U.S. alone - we are talking our own citizens - "may be victims of domestic human trafficking," cited in this story from a 2013 Congressional Research Service report. 

Another telling statistic: there are currently 21 countries designated as "Tier Three" - if they're on the list, they don't give a shit about complying with anti-trafficking legislation - and yet, "the number of traffickers convicted by the Department of Justice fell over the past year." 

It is telling that we are not talking about sex slavery alone when discussing trafficking - no, these people (using migrant slaves at New York and Virginia 7-11 stores...yes, I did just say slaves...wait, slaves still exist?I thought Abraham Linc-yeah, no), used immigrants as unpaid workers. Not to say that sex slavery is not - and should be - a paramount issue. But where is our outrage that any kind of slavery still exists? 

Clearly, legislation isn't doing the job by itself (though we could make that statement over and over about multiple issues...). Why are so many potential victims slipping through the cracks? Why have the numbers of traffickers, statistically speaking, fallen over the past year - but we have yet to realize that is only due to the fact that these modern-day slaves aren't reporting their situations. 

Maybe because they have the fear of God inside them - they have kids whose lives would be ruined if they were to report that they are working for no pay in some 7-Eleven off a back road in Virginia. Maybe we can't wait for the victims to come to us - maybe we need to find the true statistics ourselves. One would think that an issue we fought so hard to end back when Honest Abe was indeed President would be one that we would fight to end. 

Awareness - now, that's a problem. This article wasn't headline news. This story wasn't sharing headlines with Kim Kardashian. We still think that we freed the slaves - if we stick to that story, maybe we can keep up with the Kardashians just for a little while longer.