World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
July 30th is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. I wanted to do something unique and longer lasting than just a day to commemorate it by listing facts and figures. I have been astounded by how many people, especially women have been trafficked. It is far more common than most people assume. It also isn’t always what we believe it to be.
As the memories have returned, I have realized that I have been surrounded by trafficking survivors my entire life. We didn’t always have the language for it. We simply told our harrowing tales as one gossips at the water cooler. When I was born, my grandmother worked alongside survivors and my mother was a survivor.
During our trafficking, I wrote long text messages to our traffickers. It was like I knew that I was going to die and I wanted to get everything out. I also wanted to remember. My memory kept slipping away from me. I frequently signed my lengthy texts, your Shaharazad.
As with the Shaharazad from Alf Layla Wa Layla, One Thousand and One Nights, I was trying to survive just one more night under the shackles of slavery. Sometimes, that’s all we can hope for is just one more night.
To highlight the plight of the trafficked and abused, I am writing a fictionalized account of my life as an American Shaharazad. I have started with my mother about a decade before I was born. I will continue telling the tale as with the original Shaharazad for 1,001 nights. https://www.drsy.org/an-american-shaharazad
I pray that it helps one see that they aren’t alone; it can get better; and that government must do better to intervene, protect and prevent abuse. If not, we will all become victims of human trafficking like Shaharazad.
Few are as bold, daring and cunning as Shaharazad to willingly become a victim to spare others and change the heart of a human trafficker. Shaharazad managed to change her trafficker but he killed many before then. It needn’t be this way.
Please demand that our government and law enforcement agencies take abuse seriously. Inform and protect others from abuse. Keep fighting for justice and freedom for us slaves and victims of abuse. Most importantly of all, don’t give up. Sometimes one more night is all you need in order to breathe free. I keep holding on and trying to survive just one more night. I pray that you are too so that inshallah, God willing, we too can breathe free one glorious day.
Have faith and don’t give up hope for better days because
Every life matters, especially yours.
God bless Nebraska and especially Her people.
