Friday, June 18, 2021
International Community Remains Quiet on Kidnappings Of Religious Minority girls in Pakistan
As students at a private school in Northern Waziristan protested the recent kidnapping of a minor girl, the international community remains largely silent on the growing number of abductions in Pakistan.
While a few cases, like Huma Younus’, have gained some international attention, many more go unnoticed by the international community. Some reports indicate that religious minority girls are targeted in nearly 1,000 kidnapping attempts every year.
Such cases often involve three stages: first, the girl is kidnapped, then she is forcefully converted to Islam at a local mosque, and finally, she is forced to marry her kidnapper or another individual. The situation became severe enough that Pakistan established a parliamentary committee to hold hearings and investigate the problem. The committee held a few hearings but has yet to produce anything of substance.
The international community has not raised enough pressure around this issue, allowing Pakistani leadership to escape accountability in their lack of response and the climate of impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of these vicious crimes. Kidnappers often provide falsified paperwork indicating that the girl is of age and documentation “proving” her willing conversion to Islam. Local community leaders often support kidnappers.
Although human trafficking generally receives much international attention, world leaders pay virtually no attention to religious minority girls being kidnapped in Pakistan.
Religious minorities make up a small percentage of Pakistan’s population but are the constant targets of religiously motivated attacks, abuse, and other forms of discrimination. Kidnappings, forced conversions, and forced marriages are just a few ways that members of the majority Muslim community abuse religious minorities.
“International Christian Concern continues to monitor these kidnapping cases and is growing increasingly concerned about their impact on the Christian community in Pakistan,” said Matias Perttula, ICC’s Director of Advocacy. “The international community can and must do more to pressure Pakistan’s leadership to prosecute the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.”
https://www.persecution.org/2021/06/14/international-community-remains-quiet-kidnappings-pakistan/
Christians accuse Pakistani lawmakers of blasphemy, lawmakers of blasphemy for throwing copies of budget documents inscribed with the name of Prophet Muhammad
Documents inscribed with Prophet Muhammad's name are thrown around the National Assembly in violent scenes.Christian and Muslim activists in Pakistan have joined forces in accusing lawmakers of blasphemy for throwing copies of budget documents inscribed with the name of Prophet Muhammad. Chaos ensued in the National Assembly on June 15 when the leader of the opposition started his speech on the recently presented budget. Punches were thrown, budget documents lobbed from the treasury benches to the opposition and vice versa, and abuse exchanged on the floor of the assembly. Several politicians were injured.
Tariq Asad, an Islamabad-based lawyer, filed a blasphemy complaint the next day at a police station against the opposition and treasury members.
“The first page of the budget book is inscribed with Durood Shareef [a salutation for Prophet Muhammad] and Bismillah [in the name of God]. It ends with the name of Prophet Muhammad. The criminals of the National Assembly have intentionally desecrated the holy statements by throwing this book. It has hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Muslims in Pakistan,” Asad said.
Many members of minority communities in Pakistan have been charged under Section 295-B of the blasphemy law, which stipulates that defiling a copy of the Quran is punishable by life imprisonment.
Had this been done by a minority parliamentarian, the outrage from Muslim parliamentarians along with the public would have been unimaginable
In April, two Christian nurses were detained by police after being accused of tearing a sticker inscribed with Durood Shareef from the cupboard of a hospital in Faisalabad, Punjab province
Christian netizens have shared images of the budget documents.
“Throwing budget books at each other which start with the name of Almighty Allah isn't blasphemy but if Christians unknowingly and in ignorance throw newspaper pages bearing the name of Allah, it is blasphemy," stated a post on Christians in Pakistan, a Facebook group.
“Had this been done by a minority parliamentarian, the outrage from Muslim parliamentarians along with the public would have been unimaginable. If disrespecting the name of our Allah and Hazrat Muhammad come under blasphemy, then charge these parliamentarians with the same clause under which minorities would have been charged.”
Christian Lives Matter, another group, shared a similar post.
“If a Christian nurse of Faisalabad is accused of blasphemy for tearing a poster, then all in the National Assembly should be accused under [Section] 295 for trampling copies inscribed with Quranic verses,” it stated.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/christians-accuse-pakistani-lawmakers-of-blasphemy/92939#