The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan

In the light of the recent democratic elections in Afghanistan, the True Stories strand presents a season of programmes looking at the often unseen faces of war-torn Afghanistan. The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan reveals a dark side of Afghan culture which has up to now remained hidden. A tradition known as Bacha Bazi (literally `boy play'), which was banned by the Taliban, is spreading through the country and exploiting the desperation of many poverty stricken children. Young boys are lured from the streets with the promise of a new life as singers and dancers for former warlords and businessman. But as well as being trained, they are traded for sexual favours and subjected to abuse, rape and sometimes even murder. Afghan journalist Najibullah Quraishi gains extraordinary access to they boys and their masters and throws light on a subject that no-one wants to talk about, exposing how the authorities charged with stopping the practice are complicit in it themselves.