Pakistan: Christian Girls Abducted and Foribly Converted to Islam
Sep 04 2007
Postings >> Pakistan

Lawyers in Pakistan say that a growing number of young Christian girls are being abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married to Muslim men.

The statement comes after the disappearance of two children from Faisalabad -- followed by the delivery of marriage certificates to their parents' homes.

Zunaira Rasheed, who is 11, vanished from her home on August 5. Her mother sold everything she owned to pay a man to trace her -- but all she got in return was a marriage certificate signed by a Muslim cleric in Lahore. On it, Zunaira's age was given as 18.

Shamaila Tabassum, 16, was last seen in a car with several Muslim neighbours, on the way, she said, to see her father in hospital after a 'serious accident'. Her family smelled a rat when Shamaila's father came home, in perfect health -- and Shamaila did not. Some days later, a certificate arrived at her parents' home, announcing Shamaila's marriage to one of her Muslim neighbours. The document was dated August 4 -- 12 days before her disappearance. On both certificates, the girls had been given a Muslim name, suggesting they had converted to Islam.

The families' lawyer Khalil Tahir said forcible conversions to Islam are on the increase, but poverty usually prevents Christian families from reporting such cases to the police. He is acting pro bono on these two cases -- cases which the police have still to register under the penal code.

• Pray for the safe return of Shamaila and Zunaira. Ask God to protect them, physically and spiritually.
• Pray that the Pakistani authorities would do more to uphold the rights of religious minorities such as Christians, who are often considered second-class citizens.