June 12 is recognized globally as the World Day Against Child Labour. By definition, child labour is “work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.”
We have been normalizing child sacrifice for far too long.
Leviticus 20:2–5
“Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. 3 I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. 4 If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, 5 I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.
I recently spoke to a young woman who is planning to buy a Tesla. To save the planet, of course. Great, I said. But, what about the child labour involved in creating the batteries; mining the lithium?
Well, she answered, child labour has been with us a long time – Nike, Adidas and so many others have their products made in China and third world countries using child labour.
True. Sad, but true. And very astute. But, just because child labour already exists, do we just turn a blind eye and carry on?
At what point do we say no?
Why are we normalizing child sacrifice?
Why do we not speak up against evil when first confronted?
Why do we remain silent?
To what end?
Money, in the case of product; and for child suicide bombers…?
Let’s start with child labour for cheap product.
Child labour laws were implemented in the USA with the federal child labor provisions, authorized by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), also known as the child labor laws. They were enacted to ensure that when young people work, the work is safe and does not jeopardize their health, well-being or educational opportunities.
And Canada. Well, it seems in Canada there are federal laws but child labour laws are different in each province. Seems they all agree on protecting children under the age of 17.
Our laws protecting children don’t seem to matter when it comes to importing items from around the world.
Many fashion brands are still using sweatshops. Child labor and modern slavery cases are still being reported, particularly in Asian developing countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and The Philippines.
We have, to put it nicely, turned a blind eye in the name of “cheap.”
A European human rights organization has filed a criminal complaint against Nike, Patagonia and other Western fashion brands, claiming they are complicit in the forced labour of Uyghurs in China and that the alleged violations could amount to “crimes against humanity.”
Nike CEO John Donahue said:“We take a very long term view with China, we’re continuing to invest in China, and we’ll continue to invest in China while also operating a very responsible global supply chain.” Except The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in 2020 named Nike as one of the dozens of Western companies that are “directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers.” The report even included a case study on one factory it claimed supplies Nike: The New York Times reported in November that Nike was among the big name brands that actively lobbied to weaken the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which aims to block imports of products made with forced Uyghur labor.
But, Nike has no problem virtue signaling. The athletic brand actively supports the LGBTQ2+ community. Nike also provides employees with support in the form of Gender Identity and Transition policies and guidelines. Far more important than putting an end to child labour.
But, the last thing anyone wants to do is “wreak havoc on supply chains that are deeply embedded in China.”
Of course not. Can you imagine Trudeau or Biden turning on China?
And let’s not get too smug over here in America and Canada.
Children were found to be working in abattoirs in America.
“More than 100 children—some as young as 13—were employed in hazardous jobs cleaning equipment like skull splitters, brisket saws, and bone cutters in meatpacking plants in eight states (including children employed by PSSI in states including) over the course of three years, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) says.
“The children were employed by Packers Sanitation Services Inc., a Wisconsin-based staffing agency that fills open jobs in the food-services and agricultural industries on a contract basis.”
These children worked to help support their families. So sad in America.
And then there are the gangs; young people brought in to protect the adults. We all know about them. Children are put into life-threatening situations by those who recruit them: children as young as 10 years old do some of the most dangerous work. Most will have to carry out violent acts to prove themselves, which puts them at the centre of gang wars, and at high risk for criminal charges. Children may be asked to pick up or deliver illicit drugs, keep watch or drive stolen cars. If caught, they face lower sentences in the youth justice system than an older gang member would in adult court. Older, more entrenched gang members are using younger gang members to carry out dangerous missions, even orders to kill on their behalf. Young children are being sacrificed – for what? As a society, we are failing our most vulnerable citizens.
But none of this compares to the child sacrifice by Muslims who raise their children to be suicide bombers..
Gaza head of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar described “the sacrifice of” Palestinian children “as an offering for Jerusalem and the Right of Return.” Members of Hamas “tell women to go forward,” an unidentified man said. “They say to a woman: Go ahead, you’re a woman and the army doesn’t shoot women. They tell small children: Go ahead, the army doesn’t shoot small children.”
Gerald Posner produced a Web documentary (hosted by thedailybeast.com) based on videos culled from television by Palestinian Media Watch. It is deeply shocking to observe children being programmed for terrorism through the exaltation of suicide bombers as heroes. “Martyrdom is bliss,” a child hostess says, referring to a 14-year-old suicide killer. The clips show incessant indoctrination that Islam wants the death of adults and children for Allah and will reward those who achieve Shahada, which Palestinian Media Watch equates with death for Allah. “I have let my land drink my blood, and I have loved the way of Shahada,” intones a young boy.
Where are today’s Neimoelers?
As Elie Wiesel taught us after the Holocaust:
‘Neutrality helps the oppressor’ and ‘Silence encourages the tormentor.”
When will all of us stand up and stop all forms of child sacrifice?
From the Ethics of the Fathers: “Rabbi Tarfon used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it.”
