My Previous Hermeneutical View and Understanding of Human Trafficking
Defining Human Trafficking
Human trafficking remains a major international criminal enterprise that affects both developed and developing nations. According to the Oxford Dictionary, human trafficking is “the crime of transporting or controlling people and forcing them to work in the sex trade or other forms of forced labor” (Oxford University Press, n.d.). The United Nations offers a more detailed definition of human trafficking based on changing strategies used by the traffickers. The United Nations defines human trafficking as:
receiving in persons shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, using the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for exploitation (United Nations, 2020).
Historical Perspective
Statistics show that low-income nations are most affected, with people forced to leave their homes mainly due to economic reasons. Levy and McStowe (2019) observe that victims of human trafficking from Africa and Asia go to the Middle East to work in low-paying jobs. Forced labor has remained highly prevalent in these regions despite international efforts to combat it.
On the other hand, victims of human trafficking in Canada, the United States, and parts of Europe are often subjected to sexual exploitation. The modus operandi of these criminals has evolved over the years. Levy and McStowe (2019) argue that currently, the victims of this crime do not even realize that they are being trafficked when taken from their homes. They are often promised better employment opportunities or gifts to lure them out of their homes to a specific location. As such, they willingly move from their homes to places where they get enslaved, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to detect when the crime is being committed. It explains why the vice is common even in developed economies where law enforcement agencies have advanced systems to fight such criminal activities.
The Transatlantic Slave Trade, also known as the Atlantic Slave Trade, might have been the costliest of all long-distance slave trades in history, but the practice had been in existence for centuries before then. In the past, enslaved people were considered a legitimate trade commodity sold in the market and owned by an individual for a specific period. They would be subjected to forced labor and sexual exploitation by their masters, and the practice would be legally accepted. When analyzing this criminal enterprise, it is often advisable to review its historical perspective, including biblical and theological perspectives.
A critical analysis of the Bible, Quran, and Torah, among other holy books of different religious beliefs around the world, shows that the slave trade is one of the oldest forms of trade. Despite changes in trade, humans remain commodities, and they are forced to work or do things they would otherwise avoid if they had their freedom. Forced labor and sexual exploitation were and remain the primary drivers of slavery.
Previously, I did not have a hermeneutical view or understanding of using an analysis of the biblical and theological foundation for human trafficking. I have read many stories in the bible that relate to slavery and the slave trade. The book of Exodus shows that the Israelites lived in Egypt for over 430 years. Although they did not come as enslaved people, they were eventually enslaved when their population continued to grow in this foreign land (Exod. 1:8). The Bible cites various cases where war captives would be taken as slaves, especially women and children, instead of being slain.
My perspective, when analyzing human trafficking, previously did not focus on a hermeneutical understanding. I had embraced the view that the global community is highly diverse in terms of religion, so such an approach would be inappropriate. Francis and Sutton (2022) note that religion remains one of the most divisive topics in the United States and other parts of the world. It has remained one of the leading reasons why people kill and displace one another in various countries.
As such, when analyzing a global problem such as this, I avoided taking a religious perspective. I believed that basing my analysis on religious beliefs would lead to a divisive outcome that might be difficult to resolve. Francis and Sutton (2022) observe that when a given group of people believes that those who do not share their faith are infidels, then their views are likely to be divisive and can easily result in conflicts.
Existing Legal Structures Shaping My Views of Human Trafficking
When analyzing the problem of human trafficking, I often took a legal perspective as the best way of understanding how it should be managed. It is essential to review some of the fundamental laws and conventions that informed my analysis of human trafficking before embracing hermeneutical views. According to Liddle and Shackelford (2021), numerous international, regional, and national laws have been enacted to help curb this criminal enterprise.
At the global level, the United Nations has played a leading role in the enactment of laws. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child are some of the laws that are meant to curb human trafficking, especially those who are targeted for sexual exploitation (Rudolf et al., 2023). The Protocol Against Trafficking in Persons Supplements (UNTOC) and the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) are other powerful legal instruments intended to combat vice across international waters (Schloenhardt et al., 2023). Although the International Criminal Court at the Hague has jurisdiction over major cases involving mass human rights abuse, most such cases are prosecuted in local courts within member states.
Different regions and economic blocs also have various conventions and treaties to suppress the practice further. In the European Union, individual states have committed to strictly enforcing various laws on human trafficking. The Council of Europe’s Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings and the European Union Directive on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings are some of the significant laws that are in force (Sax & Planitzer, 2020). Individual member states are responsible for enforcing such laws within their legal frameworks.
In North America, the United States, Canada, and Mexico have been working together to fight this crime. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been instrumental in ensuring that trade in this region does not involve human trafficking (Gantz, 2020). The three countries have been working together to fight various forms of crime, including all forms of modern slavery. Individual member states are responsible for policing and prosecuting those involved in the trade. Although NAFTA has been replaced with the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), the policies and approach towards human trafficking have remained mainly unchanged.
Asia and Africa also have various laws and regulations meant to fight human trafficking. According to a report by Levy and McStowe (2019), Africa and some parts of Asia remain the worst-affected regions in terms of human trafficking and forced labor. Many people are lured from poor countries in Africa and parts of Asia by the promise of better employment opportunities in some Middle Eastern nations. Unfortunately, they find themselves subjected to various forms of slavery, and in most cases, they are unable to go back home because their travel documents would be confiscated by their employers (Kahimba, 2021).
Reports indicate that countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar lack adequate laws to protect migrant workers, especially domestic workers from developing countries (Chon & Chisolm-Straker, 2021). The living conditions for some of these domestic workers are often so bad that a number of them would die soon after their arrival. The report shows that in most cases, victims would be blamed for their deaths, even in cases where it is clear that they had been murdered. Efforts have been made to address the problem in this region, but appropriate laws and conventions are still lacking, creating a gap that criminals have fully exploited.
In the United States, the federal government has enacted various laws meant to fight human trafficking. One of the fundamental laws in the country is the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 (Masys et al., 2020). Another significant piece of legislation was the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA) (United Nations, 2021). Assessment of U.S. Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons was an initiative of the U.S. Department of Justice in 2004 (Avwunudiogba & Dung, 2021).
Various departments of government have been working together to ensure that cases of human trafficking are effectively prosecuted to deter such practices. As the leading economy in the world, the United States would have been the most desirable destination for human traffickers, especially for forced labor and sexual exploitation. However, strict laws and an effective criminal justice system have limited such practices.
The laws and conventions have been universally accepted in the various jurisdictions where they apply. Previously, I believed that these were the only sources of authority that should be prioritized when addressing human trafficking because they are not biased towards a specific religion. They are based on a legal framework that can be applied regardless of a person’s religion, political affiliation, race, or any other demographic classification.
In the United States, Christianity is the dominant religion. However, laws and policies that define criminal conduct are not primarily inclined to favor this dominant community. Kuru (2019) observes that in some Islamic states, such as Iraq and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the law is primarily based on Islamic teachings. In such cases, a person who does not understand and embrace these Islamic laws may be prosecuted for a crime they did not realize they were committing.
I have avoided biblical and theological foundations out of fear of appearing discriminatory. As a Christian, the Bible is my primary source of information and teaching on how people should relate to one another. In the Old Testament, it is clear that during wars, it was common for those who were defeated to be enslaved. In the New Testament, the bible says that Jesus came to free humanity from all forms of slavery. However, one must believe in Him and repent of their sins to be liberated (Liddle & Shackelford, 2021).
As a Christian, I believe that everyone should consider Jesus Christ as their savior. It would require Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and all the other religious groups to abandon their faith to embrace Christianity. The main challenge is that these other religious groups also believe that Christianity is a lost religion that should not be practiced. Muslims believe that all Christians are infidels, which is the same view that Christians have towards Muslims and other religious groups.
It means embracing biblical and theological foundations when analyzing a major international criminal enterprise, such as human trafficking, is likely to result in divisive opinions. Flores (2020) argues that the only way to achieve success in the fight against a major crime is to have common ground among all the players. Those involved in the fight must have a common viewpoint and should believe in the desired outcome.
Religion has been one of the most divisive issues in human history (Kuru, 2019). There are significant differences in the beliefs of Christians and Muslims. In a country that is as highly diversified in terms of religion as the United States, bringing religion into the analysis of human trafficking is. There are numerous challenges to using religion in such a significant analysis.
First, once a Muslim or a person of any other faith realizes that the analysis is based on biblical teachings, they would quickly dismiss the message as one that does not concern them. They would view such an analysis as specifically targeting Christians (Liddle & Shackelford, 2021). On the contrary, such an analysis would aim to find a solution to the problem of human trafficking, which affects everyone irrespective of one’s religion.
However, when a section of the community dismisses it primarily because of the hermeneutical lenses used in the analysis, it becomes less effective. It significantly limits the audience for material intended for the general population. As such, I have avoided this approach to analyzing human trafficking.
Secondly, there is the fear that the report’s audience would subjectively seek conflicting views once they realize it is based on a religious belief they do not embrace. It is common to find Muslim clerics focusing on the significant differences between Islamic and Christian teachings (Kuru, 2019). Once religion is introduced in analyzing human trafficking, the focus of the audience would shift from the content of the report to finding conflicting information.
Because of the belief that the other religion has fundamental flaws that make it inferior, the audience may not prioritize the information presented. Even in cases where the topic is a convergent issue across all religious beliefs, such as ethics and morality, differences would still emerge. Once the slightest difference in principle is identified, the whole document would be dismissed as a misrepresentation of facts.
Lastly, in the United States, religious extremism has increasingly been witnessed over recent years. Liddle and Shackelford (2021) argue that statistically, most mass murders are committed by people aligned to a specific religious group or race. The Al Qaeda attack on September 11, 2001, the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, the San Bernardino attack in 2015, and the Orlando nightclub shooting in 2016 are just some of the terror attacks in the United States that were linked to Islamic extremism in the country.
On the other hand, the Ku Klux Klan is an example of a terror outfit in the United States that is directly linked to Christianity (Barnes, 2021). When an analysis is based on religious faith, anyone who has been directly or indirectly affected by these religious-based terror groups would easily dismiss the report. This is because of their firm belief that such religion promotes violence and human rights violations. They would not view the report as an objective way of finding a solution, but as propaganda meant to justify the violent actions of the extremist group.
Taking a religiously neutral position has been my approach over the years when analyzing the problem of human rights violations. I believe that, in so doing, I will be targeting a larger audience that is not limited by religious beliefs. As discussed above, the United States and the global community have numerous laws and treaties that can effectively fight human trafficking. The neutrality is not meant to ignore biblical teachings, but to avoid the perception that the analysis is intended only for Christians. Eliminating potential religious biases helps ensure that the analysis and content of the report are acceptable to everyone in the country.
Current Hermeneutical View of Human Trafficking After the Course
The course has had a tremendous impact on my views and perception of human trafficking as a criminal enterprise, and how it should be analyzed. It has redefined how I need to interpret the actions of these criminals, especially their motives, and the impact on the victims, including their family members and friends. The course made me realize that one of the best ways to convey a message effectively is to appeal to the audience in a way that evokes the desired actions.
After this course, I have decided to consider using my biblical/theological foundations and design to analyze human trafficking as a crime in our society. As explained above, I had previously avoided hermeneutical views when analyzing this issue because of the fear of being divisive and being considered irrelevant by a section of the audience. However, this view has changed significantly during and after the course.
I have learned that sometimes it may be critical to use biblical teachings to explain the nature of the problem and to pass the message to the audience. Kaufman (2020) argues that some people find religious-based analysis more appealing and convincing than when it is purely legal. They feel that religious teachings are instructions from God and that they have the responsibility to respect them at all times.
It may be true that religion is highly divisive, and that when an analysis is based on biblical foundations, it may not be appealing to everyone in a multi-religious society such as the United States. However, sometimes one needs to target the message to a specific audience to achieve the best outcome.
When analyzing the problem of human trafficking, the message can specifically be designed to target a specific population. In the United States, it is estimated that more than 75% of the population identifies as Christians, including those who rarely attend church. The other significant population is those who are not affiliated with any religion.
Those who do not identify with any religion in the country tend to be more tolerant of Christian teachings than any other religious group. It means that when an analysis of a significant problem, such as human trafficking, has hermeneutical teachings based on biblical foundations, it would target more than 80% of the American population (Kaufman, 2020). It might not be possible to develop a message that everyone in a diversified society would find acceptable. However, if it convinces 80%, it can be an effective way to change societal behavior.
Cases of Human Trafficking Based on Biblical Foundations
It is essential to review tales of survivors of human trafficking based on biblical foundations. The Bible identifies several cases where people were captured and sold into slavery. Kaufman (2020) observed that such cases were common during major wars.
Members of the defeated community who were not killed during the war would be captured, trafficked, enslaved, or sold into slavery by the winning community. Those who were unable to pay their debts would also be enslaved and trafficked to different communities as a way of paying their debts. Others were unlucky as they would be sold into slavery without any proper justification. It is necessary to look at some of the cases of human trafficking as presented in various books in the bible.
A Case of Human Trafficking Survivor: The Joseph Story (Genesis 37)
The story of Joseph, son of Jacob, is a clear indication that the slave trade and human trafficking were common in the region at that time. Besides commodities such as salt, gold, and garments, human beings were also bought and sold, just like any other. Joseph was one of Jacob’s youngest children, and he grew to be a brave, wise, and obedient son. He became Jacob’s favorite son, which displeased his elder brothers. As such, they made a plan to kill him and blame his death on wild animals.
On the day of the planned murder, Joseph went to visit his brothers, where they were leading their father’s cattle in the wilderness. When he arrived, the brothers decided that it was the best opportunity for them to kill him, as they feared he would take their blessings. However, one of his brothers, Judah, offered the others an alternative: selling him to the slave traders. The events that followed are explained in Genesis 37 26-28, as follows:
Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt (Gen. 21:10–13, New King James Version).
In this story, Joseph is forced to leave his homeland and becomes a slave because of his brothers’ evil plans. It was the best way of eliminating him without spilling his blood. When he arrived in Egypt, he was sold to Potiphar, an official in Pharaoh’s court. He became a slave, then a house manager, who worked under the supervision of Potiphar’s wife. He lost all the privileges, love, and care that he received from his parents back at home.
The Bible explains that Joseph faced many challenges in the initial years of his arrival in Egypt. First, Potiphar’s wife fell in love with him and wanted them to commit adultery. When he rejected her advances, she accused him of trying to rape her. The allegation landed him in jail, where he spent years.
As a survivor of human trafficking and slavery, Joseph was able to overcome the pain and frustrations of imprisonment. The Bible says that Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, an act that earned him favor in the eyes of the Egyptian supreme ruler. When his interpretation proved true, he was released from prison, then promoted to prime minister of Egypt and placed in charge of economic reforms across the entire country.
The Bible tells a story of resilience, obedience, loyalty, and commitment to God’s teachings. Although he was Potiphar’s slave, he remained a loyal servant who refused to betray him when he was tempted to do so. This was a sign that he was committed to the teachings of God, especially when it came to practicing adultery.
He believed that despite his plight, one day God would transform his misfortunes. He remained loyal and obedient to Egypt’s leadership. When he was summoned to Pharaoh’s court to assist in interpreting the ruler’s dream, he did so without any hesitation. It made it possible for him to become one of the top governing officials in a land where he was supposed to be an enslaved person for the rest of his life.
The case of Joseph may not accurately reflect what happens to modern-day victims of human trafficking. According to Chon and Chisolm-Straker (2021), a significant number of the victims would end up dying at the hands of their captors because of various reasons. Such deaths are rarely reported because such individuals would be in the host countries illegally or without the knowledge of the relevant authorities. Others end up being enslaved (for forced labor or sexual exploitation) for many years before being released, escaping, or being rescued by relevant authorities.
Those who are released are forced to live with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for many years. Unlike Joseph, whose sad story was transformed into success and a savior to his entire family, many modern-day victims have grim stories to tell. However, that does not mean the story is entirely irrelevant in the modern context.
When analyzing the story of Joseph concerning human trafficking, it is possible to find ways of encouraging the victims. When handling victims with PTSD, one can use history to remind them that they can overcome their trauma. Those who were subjected to sexual exploitation may feel that they have become worthless and may never lead an everyday life. They may find it challenging to get married and have children because they may associate sex as a form of one in power expressing their dominance over them. However, they can be reminded that one of the tribulations that Joseph went through was an attempted sexual assault. If he was able to overcome it, they too could do the same.
Torture is a common experience that victims of human trafficking go through at the hands of their captors. Kahimba (2021) observes that most of the victims of human trafficking who end up in the Middle East, especially in countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are often subjected to physical abuse and forced labor for years. The story of Joseph can be used to help them overcome their mental distress. Joseph realized that his brothers had a deliberate and unjustified intention of killing him.
In Egypt, Joseph spent 11 years as an enslaved person and another 2 years as a prisoner. The conditions of an enslaved person and those of a prisoner back then were worse than they are currently. Enslaved people belonged to their enslavers, who could do anything to them without any consequences.
In prison, there were no rights and benefits that current prisoners in the United States enjoy. It means that Joseph went through the worst physical and mental torture that anyone could go through in life. However, he did not allow all the mental distress to weigh him down. The favor of God was always upon him, and he finally became a ruler in the land of slavery. As such, these victims can also overcome their harrowing past and become successful members of society.
Other Cases of Human Trafficking in the Bible
The Bible highlights various cases where people would be captured from their homes, trafficked as captives, and taken to slavery in distant lands. In most of the instances recorded in the bible, human trafficking was common during major wars. As various kingdoms sought to expand, they would subdue their enemies and take them prisoner to work for them. Deuteronomy 21:10–13 reads as follows:
“10 When you go to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands, and you take captives,
11 if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife. Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails
13, and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a whole month, then you may go to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife (Deut. 21:10-13, New King James Version).
This section of the Bible shows that there are cases where God approved taking captives, trafficking them out of their homeland, and enslaving them. God also approved of taking women captured during the war as wives. In modern society, it would be considered sexual exploitation as the Bible does not say that women had to consent. Any instance where a man uses his physical power to subdue a woman and force her into sexual acts is considered sexual exploitation (Kahimba, 2021). In the verses above, it is apparent that the decision had to be made solely by the victorious men and that the women could not reject the offer.
God gave specific instructions that had to be observed by the soldiers when they decided to marry women taken captive. First, the man had to bring the woman into his home as a sign that she was under his custody. She had to shave her head and trim her nails, practices common at the time for someone mourning. She had to be given new clothes as a sign that she was no longer viewed as an enslaved person.
Finally, she had to be given one month to mourn her lost parents and relatives who might have died during the war before the man could marry her. They had to be treated compassionately, although they had been considered enslaved people. The verse is silent on how the rest of the enslaved people, who were not married to the winning soldiers, were to be treated. The assumption is that they would become enslaved people for the rest of their lives, subjected to forced labor.
It is necessary to note that the Israelites were sometimes defeated by their enemies and were enslaved. This happened when they lost God’s favor, especially by worshiping the Baal gods of Egypt. Judges 2:14 reads, “So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their surrounding enemies so that they could no longer withstand their enemies,” (Jud. 2:14). Although they were handed over to enemy soldiers and served many years as enslaved people, the Israelites would eventually overcome such challenges and re-establish their kingdom.
When analyzing the problem of modern-day human trafficking, the verse may be necessary when counseling victims of the crime who are suffering from PTSD. They are reminded that sometimes God’s favorite people can fall victim to the enemy. It does not mean that they should despair. Instead, they should know that God will eventually redeem them from the enemy’s hands.
Human Trafficking from the Lenses of Non-Christian Religious Groups
The Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist communities also constitute a significant portion of American society. I am convinced that a hermeneutical view of the issue can target them as well. The books of the Torah and the Quran also address various cases of human trafficking. Taking a religious perspective that these minorities identify with can help in passing a convincing message to them. It means that the analysis should not stop at the biblical foundation because the majority of Americans are Christians. It should also reflect on the other religious groups.
Taking into consideration the teachings of these minority groups can also help discourage this criminal activity while at the same time helping victims overcome their trauma. As with the case of biblical verses, the Quran, the Torah, and other religious books explain specific events and instructions from God that can be critical in addressing the problem. In the Quran, one of the hadiths told in Sahih Muslim 14:38 reads as follows:
“We went out with Allah’s Messenger on the expedition to the Bi’l-Mustaliq and took captive some excellent Arab women. We desired them, for we were suffering from the absence of our wives, but at the same time, we also desired ransom for them. So, we decided to have sexual intercourse with them, but by observing ‘azl(Withdrawing the male sexual organ before emission of semen to avoid conception). But we said: We are doing an act whereas Allah’s Messenger is amongst us; why not ask him? So, we asked Allah’s Messenger, and he said: “It does not matter if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up to the Day of Resurrection will be born” (The Qur’an, 2010, 14:38).”
This hadith is a confirmation that Muslims, just like Christians, have cases in their holy books where people of God had to take captives, and that sexual exploitation was a common practice. Both the Quran and the Bible contained specific instructions for handling captives at that time. The similarities make it easy to use a theological foundation to analyze a common problem in society, such as human trafficking.
Summary
The course has redefined my perception of using hermeneutical lenses when analyzing human trafficking as a criminal activity with a significant physical and psychological impact. Although a country such as the United States is religiously diverse, an analysis of the various religious texts reveals considerable similarities in their teachings. A theological approach to analyzing a problem helps appeal to a segment of society that embraces its beliefs.
Initially, I believed that hermeneutical lenses would be a divisive strategy as religion has always been a significant source of conflict and division in the global society. However, this course has enabled me to understand that ethics, compassion, respect for human lives, generosity, and respect for the law are virtues that all of these holy books encourage. People who embrace these virtues are less likely to engage in criminal activities such as human trafficking. As such, analyzing the problem through hermeneutical lenses can be a highly effective way to address it.
References
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