Bibles desecrated

On April 2, 2006 morning three Bibles and a wooden rack were gutted in a Catholic Church Jivanpura about 40 kilometers west of Lahore. According to the local community some unknown persons had set the fire.                                             Minorities Concern of Pakistan May 2006

Conversions

‘A Hindu girl converts to Islam, mainly to be able to marry a Muslim young man. I am not sure this event deserves to be celebrated. She has abandoned the support system that her family and community had earlier provided, and it is by no means certain that she will be valued and well received by those whose faith she has now adopted. If, after the fever of romance has subsided, her husband and his family mistreat her, she will have nowhere to turn. The larger Muslim Community is not organized to protect and comfort her.’

Anwar Saeed Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts. Daily Dawn June 18, 2006

Conversions

Conversion in Pakistani context means conversion to Islam. Theoretically speaking, there is no restriction on changing ones religion in Pakistan. However, converting to another religion from Islam is treated as apostasy, punishable by death according to common interpretation of Islamic laws.

The members of minority community also convert to Islam in case of illegal marriages and marriages without the consent of family. The Catholic (National) Commission for Justice & Peace (NCJP) recorded 762 non-Muslims conversions to Islam between 1999 and 2004 by monitoring the four daily newspapers printed from Lahore. However there was no conversion reported from Islam to any other religion.

Conversion after blasphemy allegations

• In 1994 Ms. Carol, a seven grade Christian girl was alleged of committing blasphemy in Sukkar. She converted to Islam in order to save herself from litigation and other possible sufferings.

• A similar case is of Ms. Lakshami from district Swabi NWFP, was reported to have converted to Islam in jail when the Chief Judge of the Peshawar High Court was visiting the jail. The Chief Judge praised her for converting to Islam.

Conversions after abduction and marriage

In a number of cases, minority women (Christian, Hindu and Sikh), including minors were abducted and converted to Islam through a Muslim marriage. Their contact with families is made impossible on account of their conversion. Scared by the abductors, they make statement before the judge that they were doing so on their free will. The police and administrative machinery usually side with the socially and economically powerful culprits who also happen to be from the majority community. The lower courts have generally ignored the circumstances (detachment from family, crime involved, age of the so called converted) and the need for enabling conditions for a free consent. Following are few examples recorded in the previous issues of Human Rights Monitor.

• In 1997 three sisters Nadia, Naeema and Nabila (15, 13 and 11 of age respectively) of Rawalpindi were given in the custody of their Muslim neighbours by the Magistrate instead of their parents on pretext of conversion to Islam, while the Christian parents had approached the court reporting their abduction. Moreover the law did not require separating children from the natural and bona fide guardians despite conversion.

• Hervinder Kor, a six years old Sikh girl was kidnapped by persons belonging to Afridi Tribe from Khyber Agency in 2003. This tribe reported that the minor had converted to Islam thus she could not be returned to her parents. The government failed to do anything to recover the girl.

• A 13-years old Hindu girl Mashu was converted to Islam in Mirpurkhas, Sindh. She was named Mariam by her abductor cum husband. The court validated the marriage on a statement of consent, ignoring the circumstances and the motive. Police refused a meeting between the girl and parents on the pretext of conversion.                                           The Christian Voice, January 22, 2005

• Three Hindu sisters Reena (21), Usha (19) and Rima (17) were kidnapped in 2005 from their house in Karachi. A case was registered against the neighbouring boys as principle suspect with abduction charges by the parents. Police arrested the boys but latter set them free.

A few days later, parents came to know that their daughters were staying in a religious seminary. The parents believed that their daughters were kidnapped and forced to convert. The Supreme Court ordered police to provide security to the girls and shift them to Edhi orphanage from the seminary.                                                   Daily Dawn December 3, and Daily Times December 17, 2005