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Rights of Minorities in Pakistan: Forced Conversions

  • Nov 13, 2020
  • 3 min read

Introduction

Many concerning cases of forced conversions are ongoing in Pakistan, bringing to light a crucial issue. While anyone can be forcefully converted, the most heavily threatened demographic are women, with most of them underage. Once converted, these girls are married off to men who are usually older than their fathers.



©Movement for Solidarity & Peace in Pakistan


How often is this happening?

A 2014 report from the Movement for Solidarity and Peace (MSP), a non-partisan human rights organization in Pakistan, reported around one thousand Hindu and Christian girls forced to convert to Islam and marry older men annually.

This is a conservative number, as many conversions go off the books and unreported, making it incredibly difficult to conjure a reliable figure. A Hindu woman named Makheja Mukhiya confirms this, stating, "Once a girl is raped, she is blackmailed into giving whatever statement the husband wants to be recorded in the court."



District of Sindh, Pakistan


Where is this happening?

Forced conversions are mainly prevalent in the Sindh region, in the districts of Tharparkar, Umerkot, and Mirpur Khas.


Why is this happening?

Muslims believe that the only way to get to Jahnna (heaven) is to live a religious, faithful life. However, those who use this as a justification to convert someone forcefully are actively contradicting Islamic law, as a Quranic principle states that there is "no compulsion in religion."


What is the series of events that allow this to happen?

In most cases, vulnerable girls are preyed upon by men in power and groomed to convert and marry them.

These girls are first abducted, raped, and forced to marry their rapists. The family of the girl is labeled as kafir. thus disabling them to have any communication with their families. Justice is outright denied to those affected by the situation with threats of domestic violence if they testify against their captors.


Why is this not being combatted right now?

The police are often complicit in the forceful conversion of young Hindu and Christian girls, as they either deny recording a FIR or falsify information to deny the family the right to take the case to court.

Even though there is an age limit set in place, assailants take these young girls to Punjab, where the age limit is still sixteen.

Furthermore, while forced conversions are illegal, the threats that women receive by their captors make it difficult for them to testify against them in court. The Sindh government tried to outlaw forced conversions twice, primarily focusing on minors' protection with the Protection of Minorities Bill, making the age limit eighteen. Even though the bill unanimously passed in the Sindh assembly, various religious parties put the bill under mass scrutiny and objection, disabling the governor from signing it.

The blasphemy laws in Pakistan also play a huge role, as after a girl is declared Muslim, there is no going back to their past religion without being subject to violent judgment. These young children are either attacked by extremists or prosecuted for blasphemy.



District of Punjab, Pakistan


Conclusion:

The Pakistani society has historically failed to protect the minorities, caring more about the lack of marriage within communities over the lack of consent given in sexual and marital relations. Underage girls are being stolen from their families, forced to act joyous in front of a judge, and change their entire lifestyle for a man decades older than herself.




Ways to get involved and help

  • Awareness is vital as international protest is imperative to incite change.

  • Do not allow this to fuel Islamophobia, as this is not what Islam stands for. As a Muslim Pakistani, rest assured that this is not an accurate representation of Islam.


Resources:

  • https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2020/07/11/forced-conversions-in-pakistan/

  • https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-16599534

  • https://www.dawn.com/news/1345304

  • Catholic Commission for Justice & Peace, CCJP in collaboration with European Union, Research study position paper, 2017.

  • Forced Marriages & Forced Conversions in the Christian Community of

  • Pakistan, An Independent Investigative

Report, Produced by Movement for

Solidarity and Peace (MSP Inc.)


 
 
 

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