It’s a testament to his self-control that Afghan journalist Najibullah Quraishi didn’t conduct his own personal jihad on someone’s ass during the making of this shocking documentary The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan. It’s one thing to watch this sick tableau unfold before you on your flat screen. But to see the actual disgusting horror play out in front of you…well, it could change your opinion about the occasional rogue drone strike.
Here’s the drill: Quraishi goes into the secret scary lairs where a revolting Afghan practice is making a terrifying comeback. It’s called Bacha Bazi (presumably because “Boy Rape” was already taken). Young boys are taught to dance like prepubescent whirling dervishes, dolled up in feminine Afghan garb, and then forced to perform before a sick, salivating cadre of robed, leering trolls before the highest bidder—or bidders—is allowed to kidnap the lad and sodomize him. Repeatedly. Allah must be so proud. (Not that God’s high-fiving half the Catholic priesthood.)
Sadly, and more often than not, poor Afghan families gladly give up their sons, some of whom can be as young as six or seven. But this familial sin is a distant second to the one committed by the demons who traffic in these boys. And we become shower-me-quick close to one of these vile closet cases, the Afghan man known only as “The German” (presumably because “NAMBLA Nazi” was already taken). Herr A-hole is even more terrifying than the wicked clique of child molesters he caters to. “The German” is the de facto pimp of these young boys, and to hear him deny the sex, all the while inferring sex happens with a smarmy leer, is almost too much to take. What prevents this riveting, albeit revolting and depressing, documentary from being a total vein-opener is how, if this crime receives the attention it deserves, something can be done about it. PBS’ Frontline and Quraishi are to be commended for their bravery. With any luck, the lights will come up on this club and the dance will be over. PBS (www.pbs.org).
–Steven Foster
