Iqbal Masih started his journey into child labor at an early age. At just four years old he was forced to leave his home, away from his family, to work for a wealthy carpet manufacturer, to whom his family owed a total of six hundred rupees, sixteen Canadian dollars. Iqbal and a large number of children were forced to work more than twelve hours a day, six days a week. Children who worked too hard were treated like garbage. They were regularly beaten, verbally abused and, worst of all, chained to their looms by the carpet factory owner. If that wasn't enough, poor unsuspecting children are forced to work ridiculous hours and paid twenty cents a day, and that's only if they earn a certain amount of produce. As if that wasn't enough, the children had to pay for their own food. Leaving children to starve and pay off their debts first, or slave for more money so they can eat a meal of rice. After eight years of overwork and beatings, Iqbal ran away from his master and turned to the police. After learning that child labor was illegal, Iqbal returned to his owner's factory with police reinforcements. Iqbal was stunned when he saw his master bribing the police. Iqbal expressed to Francesco D'Adamo how he felt his stomach tighten and how fear had taken over his body because he knew he would be in trouble with his master. Iqbal was punished severely for his escape attempt, but this only motivated him more. He ran away once again and this time he knew he had to make it. Iqbal ran away to the BBLF, the Bonded Labor Liberation Fund, where they offered him a safe place to stay. Even though Iqbal Masih died at a young age, he still left his mark on the world by traveling around the world to raise awareness about child labor, insp...... middle of paper ......ildren Takes Flight. " Free The Children. Accessed March 13, 2014. http://www.freethechildren.com/marc-and-craig/free-the-children-takes-flight/.WebsiteCommentsLinkTagsFootnoteEditDelete"Iqbal - Home." Iqbal. Accessed March 13, 2014. http://iqbalbookreport.weebly.com/.WebsiteCommentsLinkTagsFootnoteEditDelete"Iqbal Masih." About.com 20th Century History, accessed March 12, 2014. http://history1900s.about.com/od/1990s/a/IqbalMasih .htm.WebsiteCommentsLinkTagsFootnoteEditDelete"Iqbal Masih." Moral Heroes RSS. Accessed March 12, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Iqbal_Masih.WebsiteCommentsLinkTagsFootnoteEditDelete"Who was Iqbal?" Accessed March 4, 2014. http://www.mirrorimage.com/iqbal/who/who.html.