[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 206 (Thursday, December 21, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2438-E2439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  BROAD MEADOWS MIDDLE SCHOOL: CARRYING ON THE MESSAGE OF IQBAL MASIH

                                 ______


                          HON. GERRY E. STUDDS

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 21, 1995

  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Broad Meadows 
Middle School of Quincy, MA., which earlier this month received the 
1995 Reebok Youth in Action Award for the work students have done to 
carry on the message and honor the memory of Iqbal Masih, a 12-year-old 
human rights activist from Pakistan who was murdered earlier this year.
  Since their work is so inspirational to all of us who care about 
human rights, I would like to place in the Record a copy of a letter I 
wrote to the students and their teacher, Ron Adams. I would also like 
to include a copy of an article about the students, which appeared 
December 6, 1995, in the Patriot Ledger of Quincy.
  The letter follows:

                                                December 21, 1995.
       Dear Ron: I am delighted to take this opportunity to extend 
     my congratulations to you and the students at the Broad 
     Meadows Middle School for winning the 1995 Reebok Youth in 
     Action Award. The work you and your students have done to 
     carry on the message and honor the memory of Iqbal Masih is 
     inspirational to all of us who care about human rights.
       I am also encouraged by the success of your fund-raising 
     effort to build a school in Iqbal's name in his home village 
     in Pakistan. The perseverance you have shown, as well as the 
     ingenuity in using the World Wide Web, will be a lesson for 
     the students the rest of their lives.
       American students are not often directly exposed to the 
     horror of human rights abuses in the Third World, but Iqbal's 
     eloquent message obviously touched your students. I was 
     impressed by the comments of Amanda Loos at the awards 
     ceremony in New York earlier this month: ``His visit made us 
     realize how lucky we are to live in a country like America, 
     to be free, to have an education and to have laws to protect 
     us. We have all Iqbal ever dreamed of.''
       To commemorate your achievement, I will place this letter 
     and the front page story in the Patriot Ledger on December 6 
     into the Congressional Record.
       Again, congratulations for an award well deserved. I 
     applaud the splendid efforts and dedication that you and your 
     students have exhibited.
       With kind regards, and best wishes for a happy holiday 
     season.
           Sincerely
                                                  Gerry E. Studds.

          [From the Quincy (MA) Patriot Ledger, Dec. 6, 1995]

          World Stage: Quincy Pupils Inspire Many at Ceremony

                           (By Carol Gerwin)

       The crowd at Harlem's Apollo Theatre in New York heard from 
     rock stars, actors and world-renowned activists by the time 
     Amy Papile and Amanda Loos took the stage at yesterday's 
     Reebok Human Rights Awards.
       But it was the eighth-graders from Quincy's Broad Meadows 
     Middle School who stirred them to tears and spurred them to 
     action.
       Invoking the memory of their hero, a slain 12-year-old 
     human rights leader from Pakistan, the girls asked the 
     audience to help them continue Iqbal Masih's crusade to end 
     child slavery and build a school in his name. Hundreds of 
     them later asked for information about the campaign and many 
     gave money.
       ``We realize building one school will not end child bonded 
     labor . . . but building this school builds hope,'' Amy told 
     the 1,000 people at the ceremony. ``Please pass on our 
     word.''
       Ending with a special message to Iqbal, she added: ``Dear 
     friend, rest in peace. We haven't forgotten you.''
       Amy, 13, and Amanda, 14, accepted the 1995 Reebok Youth In 
     Action Award on behalf of their school to wild cheers and a 
     standing ovation. It's the same award Iqbal received in 
     Boston a year ago, just after he visited Broad Meadows and 
     told about his escape from forced labor in a carpet factory 
     and his efforts to free other children.
       Inspired, the students immediately took up his cause and 
     wrote letters to Pakistani officials asking for the enactment 
     of child labor laws. They were shocked and devastated a few 
     months later to learn Iqbal had been shot to death while 
     riding his bicycle.
       Ever since, they have been campaigning to build the school 
     in his native village and to raise awareness about the 7.5 
     million children still in forced labor in his homeland. With 
     a site on the Internet, and support from Amnesty 
     International, the students raised about $29,000 from across 
     the country.
       By April, they hope to have $50,000--enough for a five-room 
     community school.
       Yesterday, Amy and Amanda shared the spotlight with Peter 
     Gabriel, Richard Gere, Ziggy Marley and other celebrities, 
     plus the four adults to win Reebok awards--a Mexican human 
     rights lawyer, an American environmental activist, a Rwandan 
     investigator and a Tibetan Buddhist nun.
       Many in the audience wept as the students described how 
     tiny Iqbal, his growth stunted from years of malnourishment, 
     inspired them to take up his cause.
       ``His visit made us realize how lucky we are to live in a 
     country like America, to be free, to have an education and to 
     have laws to protect us,'' Amanda said. ``We have all Iqbal 
     ever dreamed of.''
       Film Star Susan Sarandon, who presented the crystal award, 
     hugged the girls and praised the Board Meadows students for 
     channeling their anger into positive activism.
       ``They're a marvel of energy and commitment,'' Sarandon 
     said. ``It can be truly said of them they walk in Iqbal's 
     footsteps.''
       Reebok has recognized outstanding activists each year since 
     1988. To many present yesterday, it was the youngest winners 
     who best symbolize what the awards are all about--
     individuals, especially children, making a difference.
       ``Thank God, that's our future,'' master of ceremonies 
     Angel Martinez of the Rockport Co. said as Amy and Amanda 
     returned to their seats.
       He told the crowd that Reebok will give Iqbal's prize money 
     of $10,000, which was earmarked for his education, plus 
     another $2,000, to the Broad Meadows campaign. Wiping tears 
     from his eyes, he asked everyone to stand for a moment of 
     silence in Iqbal's memory.
       After the ceremony, a crush of people responded to Amy's 
     and Amanda's pleas and picked up fliers from tables 10 other 
     Broad Meadows students set up in the Apollo lobby.
       The Quincy crew collected an estimated $800 and sold 
     several dozen ``School for Iqbal'' T-shirts, as dozens 
     thanked them for their efforts and encouraged them to keep up 
     the good work.
       ``Amy and Amanda were only up there for a few minutes and 
     so many people now want to help,'' seventh-grader Mary Kane 
     said in awe. ``It shows you can do a lot in a few minutes.''
       Later, their language arts teacher, Ron Adams, who 
     coordinates the school's human rights curriculum, learned 
     that singers Peter Gabriel and Michael Stipe of R.E.M. will 
     donate a high-speed modem to make their cyberspace 
     communication faster and easier. Also, superstar Sting and 
     his wife, Trudie Styler, plan to donate $112 worth of stamps 
     Adams said.
       Richard Gere, who posed for pictures with Amy and Amanda, 
     told them that he, too, will send a check.
     
[[Page E2439]]

       Although both got as many autographs as they could at 
     yesterday's news conference, they said they weren't fazed by 
     the presence of so many stars or the national media interest 
     in their campaign. It's the work that's most important, they 
     said.
       ``This is really going to boost us up in our project and 
     make people realize everything's not hunky-dory,'' Amanda 
     said. ``There are problems that need to be fixed right 
     away.''
       Donations can be sent to A School for Iqbal Massih Fund, c/
     o The Hibernia Savings Bank, Quincy Hi-School Branch, 731 
     Hancock St., Quincy 02170.

                          ____________________