article about forced marriage/conversion in pakistan:
Lahore (Agenzia
Fides) – Nadia Bibi, a Christian girl who was abducted and forced to marry a
Muslim man, returned to her family, of Catholic faith, after 10 years. Nadia
was only 15 when, in 2001, she was kidnapped in Mariamabad (in Punjab), a city
with a Catholic majority: her case is not an isolated case, as confirmed by
Catholic sources of Fides in Punjab, there are at least 700 cases a year of
Christian girls kidnapped and forced to marry a Muslim. If one adds the cases
of Hindu girls, the number rises to 1,800 cases per year, says a recent Report
carried out by the NGO “Asian Human Rights Commission”. Nadia’s
parents had turned to the police but, as often happens, they had been
intimidated and threatened by the kidnappers, while the police refused to
register a complaint. Later, when they heard that Nadia had been forced to
marry the Muslim Maqsood Ahmed, her parents went back to the police and this
time they managed to register a FIR (First Information Report). But the police
refused to arrest him and the story ended up before the High Court of Lahore.
Here Nadia, under threats, issued a statement in favor of her husband,
expressing her free will to marry, for fear of tragic consequences for her and
her family. So the case was closed. Meanwhile, for Nadia life was unbearable: Maqsood
beat her and treated her badly, even asking her to convert her parents to
Islam. After 10 years in December 2011, Nadia found the strength to escape,
returning home to her parents. However Maqsood returned with a group of armed
men, threatening to kill and kidnap Nadia’s younger sister. The family then
fled and turned to the NGO CLAAS (Center for Legal Aid Assistence and
Settlement) that protects Pakistani Christians. CLAAS has arranged to host
Nadia and her sister in a hidden place, starting a new criminal case against
Maqsood. As reported by CLAAS to Fides, Nadia said: “Maqsood made my life
miserable. I was afraid of being killed because Maqsood knew I was not happy
with him. I felt totally helpless and I was very confused. Maqsood is inhumane,
he has ruined my life. Now I have regained hope and even faith”. Nadia’s
story is exemplary and follows a clichet that is repeated in many other cases,
like that of Farah Hatim kidnapped and converted to Islam in 2011. Although her
case was concluded with a statement (forced), made in court, in favor of the
perpetrator (see Fides 20/7/2011) but some international NGOs reported the
story to the United Nations (see Fides 22/8/2011). (PA) (Agenzia Fides
24/01/2012

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