For many years Christians in Pakistan have been the targets of increasing persecution.
Recently, an organization called Movement for Solidarity and Peace (MSP) revealed that as many as 700 Christian women in Pakistan between the ages of 12 and 25 are facing forced conversion every year in Pakistan.
International Christian Concern (ICC) says the figures presented in the report published by the MSP were taken from newspapers and organizations working in the area. ICC says it is concerned that actual number of Christian women being converted by force to Islam could be much higher.
ICC says Christian men are also pressured by Muslim co-workers and neighbors into forced conversions to Islam.
Independent News Service Morning Star News reports that on April 16th, a Christian cleaner at a bank in Lahore, Pakistan was allegedly shot and killed by a Muslim co-worker after refusing to convert to Islam. Official reports claim Sunny Masih had committed suicide when the co-worker left the gun unattended. Masih’s father disputes the claim.
The Institute on Religion and Democracy recently interviewed William Stark, a regional manager with International Christian Concern. He is an authority on Southeast Asia and has done extensive research on Christian persecution in Pakistan:
Q: Recently, the Movement for Solidarity and Peace (MSP) revealed that as
many as 700 Christian women between the ages of 12 and 25 are forcefully
converted to Islam every year in Pakistan. Is this serious crisis on the
increase?
Stark: Religious extremism continues to escalate in Pakistan and, unfortunately,
it’s the vulnerable religious minorities who often feel the effects of that
excavation first and foremost. Pakistan consistently ranks among the most
religiously hostile and intolerant nations on the planet. Religious
minorities are finding it more and more difficult to survive in Pakistan and
many are looking to leave the country as soon as possible.
Among the issues/abuses faced by Pakistan’s minority Christian population,
the issue of forced conversion is second only to the issue of blasphemy.
Instances of forced conversion are becoming more common as religious
extremism continues to escalate in Pakistan.
Q: This number could actually be much higher correct?
Stark: As reported in the report published by the Movement for Solidarity and
Peace, the number of Christians forcefully converted to Islam in Pakistan
could be much higher. This is especially true in cases where the victims are
women.
Christian women and girls, sometimes as young as 12, are abducted from their
homes and forced to convert to Islam under treat of death. Often, the
abductors threaten to kill both the abducted Christians woman and her family
if the woman ever attempts to escape or report the incident to the police.
Both self-preservation and the instinct to protect one’s family can and do
feed into the issue of underreporting.
Another tactic used by the abductors to silence their victims is forceful
marriage and rape. Shame associated with being a rape victim often causes
victims to avoid reporting abuses to proper authorities. This is especially
amplified in Pakistan’s traditional culture. Many Christian women’s best
hope for advancement in society is to find a strong marriage. Being a rape
victim takes this hope away and can leave the victims feeling trapped.
Q: Police are not cooperating with helping these women, correct?
Stark: Correct, police in Pakistan are not an entirely helpful source for these
women to turn to. Often, police tell women who were victims of forced
marriage and conversion to stay married to their abductor and refuse to file
complaints. These police are also often easily pressured by religious
leaders who use either treats or bribes to garner police support.
Q: Christian men are also being targeted correct?
Stark: Christian men can also be the targets of forced conversions in Pakistan.
Usually this comes from Muslim co-workers or neighbors who adhere to radical
ideologies of Islam. When a Christian refuses to convert to Islam, it can be
seen as an insult and has resulted in Christian men being beaten, falsely
accused of blasphemy and murder.
Q: According to International Christian Concern (ICC), some Christian
children are being forced into hiding, correct?
Stark: According to reports ICC is receiving from Pakistan, Christian children are
also being affected by the issue of forced conversion. Referencing the MSP
report, some girls as young as 12 are being kidnapped, forcefully converted
to Islam and married to Muslim men two or even three times their age.
Also, ICC became aware of a Christian family who had to flee their home
village because fundamentalist elements there were seeking to take two of
their children away and convert them to Islam. This was because these
children had led Muslim prayers at school and recited verses from the Quran.
Q: Can Human Rights organizations do anything about this?
Stark: As with all human rights abuses, the first step is spreading awareness. The
issue of forced conversion in Pakistan is surprisingly overlooked by the
international community given that in cases where women are the victims, it
could be considered a form of human trafficking.
The women are abducted from their homes by force, kept from their families
through threats or physical abuse, and are often forced to marry Muslim men
after being sexually exploited. The sexual exploitation doesn’t end once the
Christian woman is married and because they are often taken on as a second
or third wife, they become little more than a household servant that doesn’t
need to be paid for their services.
Q: If Christians throughout the world call the Embassies of Pakistan, will
this do any good?
Stark: I believe that phone calls letting the Pakistani government know that the
issues will not be overlooked would be hugely beneficial. Letting Pakistan
know that the world is watching could create change within in Pakistan’s
government and possibly lead to more efforts being made by local police to
assist Christian victims of forced conversion.
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