Coerced religious conversion in Pakistan: Difference between revisions

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In Pakistan, approximately 1,000 girls belonging to the minority Hindu, Christian and Sikh communities are kidnapped and forcefully converted to Islam every year according to abc news .^[1]^[2] Most of the targets are Hindu and Christian girls from lower Castes and poor families.^[3]

According to the Pakistan Hindu Council religious persecution, especially forced conversions, remains the foremost reason for migration of Hindus from Pakistan. This practice is being reported increasingly in the districts of Tharparkar, Umerkot and Mirpur Khas in Sindh.^[4]

Incidents

On 18 October 2005, Sanno Amra and Champa, a Hindu couple residing in the Punjab Colony, Karachi, Sindh returned home to find that their three teenage daughters had disappeared. After inquiries to the local police, the couple discovered that their daughters had been taken to a local madrassah, had been converted to Islam, and were denied unsupervised contact with their parents.^[5] In January 2017, a Hindu temple was demolished in Pakistan's Haripur district.^[6]

On 3 January 2020, Pakistani media reported that "scores of protesters surrounded the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, on Friday afternoon, threatening to overrun the holy site if their demands for the release of suspects in an alleged forced conversion case were not met".^[7] There were also reports of stone-pelting on the shrine by a mob of angry local Muslims, that even threatened to convert it into a mosque.^[8]

In May 2007, members of the Christian community of Charsadda in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, close to the border of Afghanistan, reported that they had received letters threatening bombings if they did not convert to Islam, and that the police were not taking their fears seriously.^[9]

Rinkle Kumari, a 19-year Pakistani student, Lata Kumari, and Asha Kumari, a Hindu working in a beauty parlor, were allegedly forced to convert from Hinduism to Islam.^[10]^[11] They told the judge that they wanted to go with their parents.^[12] Their cases were appealed all the way to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The appeal was admitted but remained unheard ever after.^[13] Rinkle was abducted by a gang and "forced" to convert to Islam, before being head shaved.^[14]

Sikhs in Hangu district stated they were being pressured to convert to Islam by Yaqoob Khan, the assistant commissioner of Tall Tehsil, in December 2017. However, the Deputy Commissioner of Hangu Shahid Mehmood denied it occurred and claimed that Sikhs were offended during a conversation with Yaqub though it was not intentional.^[15]^[16]^[17]^[18]

In 2017, the Sikh community in Hangu district of Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province alleged that they were "being forced to convert to Islam" by a government official. Farid Chand Singh, who filed the complaint, has claimed that Assistant Commissioner Tehsil Tall Yaqoob Khan was allegedly forcing Sikhs to convert to Islam and the residents of Doaba area are being tortured religiously.^[19]^[20] According to reports, about 60 Sikhs of Doaba had demanded security from the administration.^[21]

Many Hindus convert to Islam in order to acquire Watan Cards and National Identification Cards. These converts are also given land and money. For example, 428 poor Hindus in Matli were converted between 2009 and 2011 by the Madrassa Baitul Islam, a Deobandi seminary in Matli, which pays off the debts of Hindus converting to Islam.^[22] Another example is the conversion of 250 Hindus to Islam in Chohar Jamali area in Thatta.^[23] Conversions are also carried out by Ex Hindu Baba Deen Mohammad Shaikh mission which converted 108,000 people to Islam since 1989.^[24]

In October 2020, the Pakistani High Court upheld the validity of a forced marriage between 44-year-old Ali Azhar and 13-year-old Christian Arzoo Raja. Raja was abducted by Azhar, forcibly wed to Azhar and then forcibly converted to Islam by Azhar.^[25]

Reasons

According to the Child Protection activists, these forced conversions money-making network which involves Islamic clerics who solemnize the marriages, magistrates who legalize the unions and corrupt local police who aid the culprits by refusing to investigate or sabotaging investigations. According to the Child Protection activist Jibran Nasir, these forced conversions are part of a mafia that preys on vulnerable minority girls for older men with pedophilia urges.^[2] The Pakistan Muslim League politician Haresh Chopra has stated that abduction and forced conversion of Hindus and Sikhs girls is a business in Pakistan done by organized gangs of mullahs and terrorists.^[26]

The culprit involved in forcibly converting a non-Muslim girl to Islam believe that they will earn a place in heaven, according to the Amarnath Motumal, vice chairperson of the Sindh Chapter of Pakistan's Human Rights Commission. Pakistan doesn't have stronger legislation to prevent forced conversions and due to this these forced conversions go unabated.^[27]

Some conversions are forced while some conversions are due to discrimination of poor Hindus in jobs, government facilities and conversion to Islam is seen as a way to avoid religious discrimination and violence.^[28]

Consequences

A survey conducted by the Pakistan Hindu Seva welfare Trust found that majority of the scheduled caste Hindu families doesn't send their girl children to schools due to the fear of forced conversion.^[29] According to the, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, member of National Assembly of Pakistan, around 5,000 Hindus are migrating from Pakistan to India every year and the forced conversions are one of the major reasons behind this.^[30] According to the Pakistan Hindu Council, forced conversions is the foremost reason for the declining population of Hindus in Pakistan.^[31] Hindus in Sindh live in fear, due to forced marriage of Hindu girls to Muslim men.^[32] Many Pakistani Hindus migrate to India due to forced conversions.^[33]

Legal responses

Pakistan does not have strong enough legislation to prevent forced conversions, due to which the conversions are beieved to go on unabated.^[27]

In November 2016, a bill against forced conversion was passed unanimously by the Sindh Provisional Assembly. However, the bill failed to make it into law as the Governor returned the bill. The bill was effectively blocked by the Islamist groups and parties like the Council of Islamic Ideology and Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan.^[34] In 2019, a bill against forced conversion was proposed by Hindu politicians in the Sindh assembly, but was turned down by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party lawmakers.^[35] In 2020 "Protection of the Rights of Religious Minorities Bill" was introduced in the Senate of Pakistan that could prevent forced conversions of minority girls, but it was turned down by the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony chaired by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) (JUI-F) senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri. Krishna Kumari Kolhi, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator, walked out of the Senate during the meeting as a form of protest.^[36]

Response

The Pakistani Nobel Laurette Malala Yousafzai spoke against forced conversions in Pakistan and said "It should be a personal choice and no one, especially a child shouldn’t be forced to accept any faith or convert to any other religion out of the will,"^[37] The Pakistani Prime minister Imran Khan has said that forced conversions are 'un-Islamic'^[38] and are against the commands of Allah.^[39] The Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada Candice Bergen has said that "The reports coming out of Pakistan of Christian and Hindu girls being abducted, raped, forced into marriages and coerced to convert from their faith are deeply concerning and need to be addressed". She also called for the re-establishment of Office of Religious Freedom in Canada to address the issue.^[40]

Pakistan has no law to stop forced conversion.^[41] The Pakistani minority groups protested when Pakistani parliamentary committee rejected the anti forced conversion bill.^[42]

The All Pakistan Hindu Panchayat (APHP) general secretary, who in an interview with The Times of India said the "majority of cases of marriages between Hindu women and Muslim men were result of love affairs. He claimed that due to honor, the family members of women concoct stories of abduction and forced conversions". While the general secretary admitted that there were incidents of abductions and forced conversions of Hindu girls, he claimed that those incidents are not in large numbers.^[43]

References

^ "Stories of forced conversion to Islam in Pakistan". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
^ ^a ^b KATHY GANNON (28 December 2020). "Each year, 1,000 Pakistani girls forcibly converted to Islam". abc news. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
^ Siobhan Heanue (26 July 2019). "Hindu sisters Reena and Raveena become face of forced religious conversion in Pakistan". ABC news. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
^ "Forced conversions of Pakistani Hindu girls". September 19, 2017. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
^ "Pakistan". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
^ "Minority rights: Another Hindu temple demolished – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 2017-01-21. Archived from the original on 2017-09-17. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
^ "Protesters surround Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, disperse after negotiations". Dawn.com. 3 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-01-04. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
^ "Politicians across spectrum react to Nankana Sahib stone pelting". Indian Express. 4 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-01-05. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
^ "Taliban Tells Pakistani Christians: Convert or Die". Fox News. Archived from the original on May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
^ "Opinion: Rinkle Kumari – the new Marvi of Sindh by Marvi Sirmed". Thefridaytimes.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-03. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
^ "SC orders release of Rinkle Kumari, others". Pakistan Observer. April 19, 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
^ "Hindus in Pak happy after girl's statement in SC". Deccan Herald. 27 March 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
^ "Curbs on forced conversion". The Express Tribune. 7 December 2016. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
^ Walsh, Declan (25 March 2012). "Pakistani Hindus Say Woman's Conversion to Islam Was Coerced". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
^ "Sikh community in Hangu 'being forced to convert'". The Express Tribune. 16 December 2017. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
^ "Sikhs in Pakistan complain of pressure to convert". 16 December 2017. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
^ "Sikhs told to 'convert to Islam' by Pakistani official". Rabwah Times. December 16, 2017. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
^ Anwar, Madeeha (December 23, 2017). "Authorities Investigate Cases of Forced Conversion of Sikh Minority in Pakistan". Extremism Watch Desk. Voice of America. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
^ "Sikhs in Pakistan 'being forced to convert to Islam'". Tribuneindia News Service. Archived from the original on 2022-01-15. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
^ "Sikh community in Hangu 'being forced to convert'". The Express Tribune. December 15, 2017. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
^ "Sushma: 'Conversion' of Pakistan Sikhs: CM Amarinder seeks Sushma's help | Amritsar News – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
^ "Mass conversions: For Matli's poor Hindus, 'lakshmi' lies in another religion". The Express Tribune. January 20, 2012. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
^ "250 Hindus convert to Islam in Thatta". The Nation. September 16, 2017. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
^ "100,000 conversions and counting, meet the ex-Hindu who herds souls to the Hereafter". The Express Tribune. January 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
^ "Pakistan high court upholds forced marriage of abducted Catholic minor". Catholic Herald. October 28, 2020. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
^ "Abduction of Hindus, Sikhs have become a business in Pak: PML MP". Times of India. 28 August 2011. Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Pakistani court allows Hindu girls to decide their own fate". DW news. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2021.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Abi-Habib, Maria; Ur-Rehman, Zia (4 August 2020). "Poor and Desperate, Pakistani Hindus Accept Islam to Get By". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
^ Yudhvir Rana (4 June 2013). "Hindu parents don't send girl children to schools in Pakistan: Report". Retrieved 13 February 2021.
^ Haider, Irfan (13 May 2014). "5,000 Hindus migrating to India every year, NA told". Archived from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
^ Quratulain, Fatima (19 September 2017), "Forced conversions of Pakistani Hindu girls", Daily Times (Pakistan), archived from the original on 9 November 2020, retrieved 13 February 2021
^ "Forced conversions torment Pakistan's Hindus". Al Jazeera English. Archived from the original on 2019-06-29. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
^ "Waves of Hindus trade Pakistan for India". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
^ Ackerman, Reuben; Rehman, Javaid; Johns, Morris, Forced Conversions & Forced Marriages in Sindh, Pakistan (PDF), CIFORB, the University of Birmingham, archived (PDF) from the original on 29 September 2018, retrieved 13 February 2021
^ Tunio, Hafeez (9 October 2019), "PPP lawmakers turn down bill against forced conversions", The Express Tribune, archived from the original on 10 February 2021, retrieved 13 February 2021
^ "Senate panel 'turns down' bill on minorities rights". The Tribune. 2 February 2021. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
^ "I strongly condemn any incident where girls are forced to get married: Malala". Daily Times. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
^ "Forced conversions are 'un-Islamic', says Imran Khan". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
^ "Forced conversions are against the commands of Allah: Imran". SAMAA. 24 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
^ Zeenya Shah. "Attacks on minority women in Pakistan spark calls to reopen Office of Religious Freedoms closed by Liberals". National post. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
^ "Hindu Today, Muslim Tomorrow". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
^ "Parliamentary panel rejects anti-forced conversion bill amid protest by minorities' lawmakers". Dawn. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
^ Rana, Yudhvir (30 January 2020). "Most marriages between Hindu women and Muslim men result of love affairs, not abduction, says All Pakistan Hindu Panchayat". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.

[1] "Stories of forced conversion to Islam in Pakistan". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2021-10-27.

[KATHY-2] KATHY GANNON (28 December 2020). "Each year, 1,000 Pakistani girls forcibly converted to Islam". abc news. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.

[3] Siobhan Heanue (26 July 2019). "Hindu sisters Reena and Raveena become face of forced religious conversion in Pakistan". ABC news. Retrieved 13 February 2021.

[auto-4] "Forced conversions of Pakistani Hindu girls". September 19, 2017. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2021.

[usdep-5] "Pakistan". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2015.

[6] "Minority rights: Another Hindu temple demolished – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 2017-01-21. Archived from the original on 2017-09-17. Retrieved 2017-06-13.

[7] "Protesters surround Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, disperse after negotiations". Dawn.com. 3 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-01-04. Retrieved 2020-01-04.

[8] "Politicians across spectrum react to Nankana Sahib stone pelting". Indian Express. 4 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-01-05. Retrieved 2020-01-04.

[Fox_News-9] "Taliban Tells Pakistani Christians: Convert or Die". Fox News. Archived from the original on May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2015.

[fridaytimesrinkle-10] "Opinion: Rinkle Kumari – the new Marvi of Sindh by Marvi Sirmed". Thefridaytimes.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-03. Retrieved 2022-01-15.

[11] "SC orders release of Rinkle Kumari, others". Pakistan Observer. April 19, 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2012-06-05.

[12] "Hindus in Pak happy after girl's statement in SC". Deccan Herald. 27 March 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.

[Curbs_on_forced_conversion-13] "Curbs on forced conversion". The Express Tribune. 7 December 2016. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2022.

[14] Walsh, Declan (25 March 2012). "Pakistani Hindus Say Woman's Conversion to Islam Was Coerced". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.

[15] "Sikh community in Hangu 'being forced to convert'". The Express Tribune. 16 December 2017. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.

[16] "Sikhs in Pakistan complain of pressure to convert". 16 December 2017. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.

[17] "Sikhs told to 'convert to Islam' by Pakistani official". Rabwah Times. December 16, 2017. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.

[18] Anwar, Madeeha (December 23, 2017). "Authorities Investigate Cases of Forced Conversion of Sikh Minority in Pakistan". Extremism Watch Desk. Voice of America. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2018.

[19] "Sikhs in Pakistan 'being forced to convert to Islam'". Tribuneindia News Service. Archived from the original on 2022-01-15. Retrieved 2022-01-15.

[20] "Sikh community in Hangu 'being forced to convert'". The Express Tribune. December 15, 2017. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.

[21] "Sushma: 'Conversion' of Pakistan Sikhs: CM Amarinder seeks Sushma's help | Amritsar News – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2022-01-15.

[22] "Mass conversions: For Matli's poor Hindus, 'lakshmi' lies in another religion". The Express Tribune. January 20, 2012. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.

[23] "250 Hindus convert to Islam in Thatta". The Nation. September 16, 2017. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2022.

[24] "100,000 conversions and counting, meet the ex-Hindu who herds souls to the Hereafter". The Express Tribune. January 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.

[25] "Pakistan high court upholds forced marriage of abducted Catholic minor". Catholic Herald. October 28, 2020. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.

[26] "Abduction of Hindus, Sikhs have become a business in Pak: PML MP". Times of India. 28 August 2011. Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.

[DW-27] "Pakistani court allows Hindu girls to decide their own fate". DW news. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2021.^{[permanent dead link]}

[28] Abi-Habib, Maria; Ur-Rehman, Zia (4 August 2020). "Poor and Desperate, Pakistani Hindus Accept Islam to Get By". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2021.

[29] Yudhvir Rana (4 June 2013). "Hindu parents don't send girl children to schools in Pakistan: Report". Retrieved 13 February 2021.

[Haider-30] Haider, Irfan (13 May 2014). "5,000 Hindus migrating to India every year, NA told". Archived from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2021.

[auto1-31] Quratulain, Fatima (19 September 2017), "Forced conversions of Pakistani Hindu girls", Daily Times (Pakistan), archived from the original on 9 November 2020, retrieved 13 February 2021

[32] "Forced conversions torment Pakistan's Hindus". Al Jazeera English. Archived from the original on 2019-06-29. Retrieved 2021-10-27.

[33] "Waves of Hindus trade Pakistan for India". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2021-10-27.

[34] Ackerman, Reuben; Rehman, Javaid; Johns, Morris, Forced Conversions & Forced Marriages in Sindh, Pakistan (PDF), CIFORB, the University of Birmingham, archived (PDF) from the original on 29 September 2018, retrieved 13 February 2021

[35] Tunio, Hafeez (9 October 2019), "PPP lawmakers turn down bill against forced conversions", The Express Tribune, archived from the original on 10 February 2021, retrieved 13 February 2021

[36] "Senate panel 'turns down' bill on minorities rights". The Tribune. 2 February 2021. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2021.

[37] "I strongly condemn any incident where girls are forced to get married: Malala". Daily Times. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.

[38] "Forced conversions are 'un-Islamic', says Imran Khan". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.

[39] "Forced conversions are against the commands of Allah: Imran". SAMAA. 24 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.

[40] Zeenya Shah. "Attacks on minority women in Pakistan spark calls to reopen Office of Religious Freedoms closed by Liberals". National post. Retrieved 12 April 2021.

[41] "Hindu Today, Muslim Tomorrow". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2021-10-27.

[42] "Parliamentary panel rejects anti-forced conversion bill amid protest by minorities' lawmakers". Dawn. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2021-10-27.

[Yudhvir_Rana_(January_30th,_2020).-43] Rana, Yudhvir (30 January 2020). "Most marriages between Hindu women and Muslim men result of love affairs, not abduction, says All Pakistan Hindu Panchayat". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Short description|Human rights issue in Pakistan}}
+{{balance|date=May 2023}}
 [[File:Protest against forced conversion of Hindu girls in Pakistan.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Protest against forced conversion of Hindu girls conducted by [[Pakistan Hindu Council]]]]
-In [[Pakistan]], people belonging to the minority [[Hinduism in Pakistan|Hindu]], [[Christianity in Pakistan|Christian]] and [[Sikhism in Pakistan|Sikh]] communities are often kidnapped and forcefully converted or coerced through societal pressures to convert to [[Islam]],.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stories of forced conversion to Islam in Pakistan |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-29008267 |access-date=2021-10-27 |archive-date=2021-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027042707/https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-29008267 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/article/11338314|title=Hindu sisters Reena and Raveena become face of forced religious conversion in Pakistan|newspaper=ABC news|author=Siobhan Heanue|date=26 July 2019|access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref> Jürgen Schaflechner, a cultural anthropologist specializing on Hindus in Pakistan, cautions that these conversions are rarely motivated by religious zeal, and are instead a consequence of the commodification of women, and of denying agency to women in a deeply patriarchal society.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schaflechner |first=Jürgen |title='Forced conversions' of Hindu women to Islam in Pakistan: another perspective |url=http://theconversation.com/forced-conversions-of-hindu-women-to-islam-in-pakistan-another-perspective-102726 |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=The Conversation |language=en}}</ref>
+In [[Pakistan]], approximately 1,000 girls belonging to the minority [[Hinduism in Pakistan|Hindu]], [[Christianity in Pakistan|Christian]] and [[Sikhism in Pakistan|Sikh]] communities are kidnapped and forcefully converted to [[Islam]] every year according to abc news .<ref>{{cite news |title=Stories of forced conversion to Islam in Pakistan |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-29008267 |access-date=2021-10-27 |archive-date=2021-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027042707/https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-29008267 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="KATHY">{{cite news|url=https://www.abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/year-1000-pakistani-girls-forcibly-converted-islam-74930532|title=Each year, 1,000 Pakistani girls forcibly converted to Islam|newspaper=abc news|author=KATHY GANNON|date=28 December 2020|access-date=13 February 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104210739/https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/year-1000-pakistani-girls-forcibly-converted-islam-74930532|url-status=dead}}</ref> Most of the targets are Hindu and Christian girls from lower Castes and poor families.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/article/11338314|title=Hindu sisters Reena and Raveena become face of forced religious conversion in Pakistan|newspaper=ABC news|author=Siobhan Heanue|date=26 July 2019|access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref>
+According to the [[Pakistan Hindu Council]] religious persecution, especially forced conversions, remains the foremost reason for migration of Hindus from Pakistan. This practice is being reported increasingly in the districts of Tharparkar, Umerkot and Mirpur Khas in Sindh.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/116289/forced-conversions-of-pakistani-hindu-girls/|title=Forced conversions of Pakistani Hindu girls|date=September 19, 2017|access-date=February 13, 2021|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109134711/https://dailytimes.com.pk/116289/forced-conversions-of-pakistani-hindu-girls/|url-status=live}}</ref>
-==Causes==
-Some coerced conversions are results of kidnappings or violent threats while others are due to the systemic discrimination that many Hindus face in their professional, public, and private lives, and conversion is seen by many as a way to avoid religious discrimination and violence.<ref>{{cite news |title=Poor and Desperate, Pakistani Hindus Accept Islam to Get By |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/world/asia/pakistan-hindu-conversion.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=4 August 2020 |last1=Abi-Habib |first1=Maria |last2=Ur-Rehman |first2=Zia |access-date=27 October 2021 |archive-date=14 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814074954/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/world/asia/pakistan-hindu-conversion.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
+==Incidents==
-According to some child protection activists, the forced conversion of young girls is part of a moneymaking scheme involving corrupt public and religious figures who allow underaged girls to be converted to islam and married to older men in exchange for money.<ref name="KATHY">{{cite news |author=KATHY GANNON |date=28 December 2020 |title=Each year, 1,000 Pakistani girls forcibly converted to Islam |newspaper=abc news |url=https://www.abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/year-1000-pakistani-girls-forcibly-converted-islam-74930532 |url-status=dead |access-date=13 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104210739/https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/year-1000-pakistani-girls-forcibly-converted-islam-74930532 |archive-date=4 November 2021}}</ref>
+On 18 October 2005, Sanno Amra and Champa, a Hindu couple residing in the Punjab Colony, Karachi, Sindh returned home to find that their three teenage daughters had disappeared. After inquiries to the local police, the couple discovered that their daughters had been taken to a local madrassah, had been converted to Islam, and were denied unsupervised contact with their parents.<ref name="usdep">{{cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71443.htm|title=Pakistan|work=U.S. Department of State|access-date=5 May 2015|archive-date=13 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191013184435/https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71443.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2017, a Hindu temple was demolished in Pakistan's [[Haripur, Pakistan|Haripur]] district.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1302139/minority-rights-another-hindu-temple-demolished/|title=Minority rights: Another Hindu temple demolished – The Express Tribune|date=2017-01-21|work=The Express Tribune|access-date=2017-06-13|language=en-US|archive-date=2017-09-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917221004/https://tribune.com.pk/story/1302139/minority-rights-another-hindu-temple-demolished/|url-status=live}}</ref>
+On 3 January 2020, Pakistani media reported that "scores of protesters surrounded the [[Gurdwara Janam Asthan|Gurdwara Nankana Sahib]], on Friday afternoon, threatening to overrun the holy site if their demands for the release of suspects in an alleged forced conversion case were not met".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1526068|title=Protesters surround Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, disperse after negotiations|website=Dawn.com|date=3 January 2020|language=en|access-date=2020-01-04|archive-date=2020-01-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104033045/https://www.dawn.com/news/1526068|url-status=live}}</ref> There were also reports of stone-pelting on the shrine by a mob of angry local Muslims, that even threatened to convert it into a mosque.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nankana-sahib-gurdwara-stone-pelting-mea-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-6199049/|title=Politicians across spectrum react to Nankana Sahib stone pelting|website=Indian Express|date=4 January 2020|language=en|access-date=2020-01-04|archive-date=2020-01-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105132631/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nankana-sahib-gurdwara-stone-pelting-mea-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-6199049/|url-status=live}}</ref>
-==Notable incidents==
-In May 2007, Christian citizens of [[Charsadda]] (a city which is close to the border with [[Afghanistan]]) reported that they had received letters threatening violent attacks if they did not convert to Islam, and that the police were not taking the threats seriously.<ref name="Fox News">{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273075,00.html|title=Taliban Tells Pakistani Christians: Convert or Die|work=[[Fox News]]|access-date=May 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515081338/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273075,00.html|archive-date=May 15, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
+In May 2007, members of the Christian community of [[Charsadda]] in the [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|North West Frontier Province]] of Pakistan, close to the border of [[Afghanistan]], reported that they had received letters threatening bombings if they did not convert to Islam, and that the police were not taking their fears seriously.<ref name="Fox News">{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273075,00.html|title=Taliban Tells Pakistani Christians: Convert or Die|work=[[Fox News]]|access-date=May 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515081338/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273075,00.html|archive-date=May 15, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
-In April 2012 three Hindu sisters were allegedly threatened into converting to Islam.<ref name="fridaytimesrinkle">{{cite web |url=http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20120413&page=9 |title=Opinion: Rinkle Kumari – the new Marvi of Sindh by Marvi Sirmed |publisher=Thefridaytimes.com |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130203203818/http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20120413&page=9 |archive-date=2013-02-03 |url-status=dead |access-date=2022-01-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=151043 |title=SC orders release of Rinkle Kumari, others |work=[[Pakistan Observer]]|date=April 19, 2012|access-date=2012-06-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221063358/http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=151043 |archive-date=2014-02-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/237575/hindus-pak-happy-girls-statement.html|title=Hindus in Pak happy after girl's statement in SC|date=27 March 2012|website=Deccan Herald|access-date=15 January 2022|archive-date=15 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115175910/https://www.deccanherald.com/content/237575/hindus-pak-happy-girls-statement.html|url-status=live}}</ref> their cases were appealed all the way to the [[Supreme Court of Pakistan]], where the appeal was admitted but has remained unheard.<ref name="Curbs on forced conversion">{{cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1256767/curbs-forced-conversion/|title=Curbs on forced conversion|date=7 December 2016|website=The Express Tribune|access-date=15 January 2022|archive-date=30 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430195714/https://tribune.com.pk/story/1256767/curbs-forced-conversion/|url-status=live}}</ref>
+Rinkle Kumari, a 19-year Pakistani student, Lata Kumari, and Asha Kumari, a Hindu working in a beauty parlor, were allegedly forced to convert from Hinduism to Islam.<ref name="fridaytimesrinkle">{{cite web |url=http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20120413&page=9 |title=Opinion: Rinkle Kumari – the new Marvi of Sindh by Marvi Sirmed |publisher=Thefridaytimes.com |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130203203818/http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20120413&page=9 |archive-date=2013-02-03 |url-status=dead |access-date=2022-01-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=151043 |title=SC orders release of Rinkle Kumari, others |work=[[Pakistan Observer]]|date=April 19, 2012|access-date=2012-06-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221063358/http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=151043 |archive-date=2014-02-21}}</ref> They told the judge that they wanted to go with their parents.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/237575/hindus-pak-happy-girls-statement.html|title=Hindus in Pak happy after girl's statement in SC|date=27 March 2012|website=Deccan Herald|access-date=15 January 2022|archive-date=15 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115175910/https://www.deccanherald.com/content/237575/hindus-pak-happy-girls-statement.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Their cases were appealed all the way to the [[Supreme Court of Pakistan]]. The appeal was admitted but remained unheard ever after.<ref name="Curbs on forced conversion">{{cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1256767/curbs-forced-conversion/|title=Curbs on forced conversion|date=7 December 2016|website=The Express Tribune|access-date=15 January 2022|archive-date=30 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430195714/https://tribune.com.pk/story/1256767/curbs-forced-conversion/|url-status=live}}</ref> Rinkle was abducted by a gang and "forced" to convert to Islam, before being head shaved.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/world/asia/pakistani-hindus-say-womans-conversion-to-islam-was-coerced.html|title=Pakistani Hindus Say Woman's Conversion to Islam Was Coerced|first=Declan|last=Walsh|date=25 March 2012|access-date=9 April 2019|website=[[The New York Times]]|archive-date=23 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923234452/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/world/asia/pakistani-hindus-say-womans-conversion-to-islam-was-coerced.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
-Many Hindus convert to Islam in order to acquire Watan Cards and National Identification Cards. These converts are also given land and money. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/324799/mass-conversions-for-matlis-poor-hindus-lakshmi-lies-in-another-religion|title=Mass conversions: For Matli's poor Hindus, 'lakshmi' lies in another religion|date=January 20, 2012|website=The Express Tribune|access-date=January 15, 2022|archive-date=March 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305115204/https://tribune.com.pk/story/324799/mass-conversions-for-matlis-poor-hindus-lakshmi-lies-in-another-religion|url-status=live}}</ref>
+[[Sikhs]] in [[Hangu District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Hangu district]] stated they were being pressured to convert to Islam by Yaqoob Khan, the assistant commissioner of [[Tall Tehsil]], in December 2017. However, the Deputy Commissioner of Hangu Shahid Mehmood denied it occurred and claimed that Sikhs were offended during a conversation with Yaqub though it was not intentional.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1585150/1-sikh-community-hangu-forced-convert/|title=Sikh community in Hangu 'being forced to convert'|date=16 December 2017|publisher=[[The Express Tribune]]|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=21 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121191413/https://tribune.com.pk/story/1585150/1-sikh-community-hangu-forced-convert/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/sikhs-in-pakistan-complain-of-pressure-to-convert/story-945AGLoXUjfEam6dZo2KBJ.html|title=Sikhs in Pakistan complain of pressure to convert|date=16 December 2017|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=30 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930115735/https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/sikhs-in-pakistan-complain-of-pressure-to-convert/story-945AGLoXUjfEam6dZo2KBJ.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rabwah.net/sikhs-told-convert-islam-pakistani-official/|title=Sikhs told to 'convert to Islam' by Pakistani official|website=[[Rabwah Times]]|date=December 16, 2017|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=30 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930081204/https://www.rabwah.net/sikhs-told-convert-islam-pakistani-official/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-sikh-minority-forced-conversion/4177063.html|title=Authorities Investigate Cases of Forced Conversion of Sikh Minority in Pakistan|first=Madeeha|last=Anwar|publisher=[[Voice of America]]|work=Extremism Watch Desk|date=December 23, 2017|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401132941/https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-sikh-minority-forced-conversion/4177063.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
+In 2017, the Sikh community in Hangu district of Pakistan's [[Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa]] province alleged that they were "being forced to convert to Islam" by a government official. Farid Chand Singh, who filed the complaint, has claimed that Assistant Commissioner Tehsil Tall Yaqoob Khan was allegedly forcing Sikhs to convert to Islam and the residents of Doaba area are being tortured religiously.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/punjab/sikhs-in-pakistan-being-forced-to-convert-to-islam-514699|title=Sikhs in Pakistan 'being forced to convert to Islam'|website=Tribuneindia News Service|access-date=2022-01-15|archive-date=2022-01-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115175910/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/punjab/sikhs-in-pakistan-being-forced-to-convert-to-islam-514699|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1585150/1-sikh-community-hangu-forced-convert|title=Sikh community in Hangu 'being forced to convert'|date=December 15, 2017|website=The Express Tribune|access-date=January 15, 2022|archive-date=January 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115182624/https://tribune.com.pk/story/1585150/1-sikh-community-hangu-forced-convert|url-status=live}}</ref> According to reports, about 60 Sikhs of Doaba had demanded security from the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/conversion-of-pakistan-sikhs-cm-amarinder-seeks-sushmas-help/articleshow/62144128.cms|title=Sushma: 'Conversion' of Pakistan Sikhs: CM Amarinder seeks Sushma's help &#124; Amritsar News – Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=2022-01-15|archive-date=2019-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114204406/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/conversion-of-pakistan-sikhs-cm-amarinder-seeks-sushmas-help/articleshow/62144128.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>
+Many Hindus convert to Islam in order to acquire Watan Cards and National Identification Cards. These converts are also given land and money. For example, 428 poor Hindus in Matli were converted between 2009 and 2011 by the Madrassa Baitul Islam, a [[Deobandi]] seminary in Matli, which pays off the debts of Hindus converting to Islam.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/324799/mass-conversions-for-matlis-poor-hindus-lakshmi-lies-in-another-religion|title=Mass conversions: For Matli's poor Hindus, 'lakshmi' lies in another religion|date=January 20, 2012|website=The Express Tribune|access-date=January 15, 2022|archive-date=March 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305115204/https://tribune.com.pk/story/324799/mass-conversions-for-matlis-poor-hindus-lakshmi-lies-in-another-religion|url-status=live}}</ref> Another example is the conversion of 250 Hindus to Islam in Chohar Jamali area in [[Thatta]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nation.com.pk/16-Sep-2017/250-hindus-convert-to-islam-in-thatta|title=250 Hindus convert to Islam in Thatta|date=September 16, 2017|website=The Nation|access-date=January 15, 2022|archive-date=August 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826091658/https://nation.com.pk/16-Sep-2017/250-hindus-convert-to-islam-in-thatta|url-status=live}}</ref> Conversions are also carried out by Ex Hindu Baba Deen Mohammad Shaikh mission which converted 108,000 people to Islam since 1989.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/325623/100000-conversions-and-counting-meet-the-ex-hindu-who-herds-souls-to-the-hereafter|title=100,000 conversions and counting, meet the ex-Hindu who herds souls to the Hereafter|date=January 22, 2012|website=The Express Tribune|access-date=January 15, 2022|archive-date=January 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116143749/https://tribune.com.pk/story/325623/100000-conversions-and-counting-meet-the-ex-hindu-who-herds-souls-to-the-hereafter|url-status=live}}</ref>
 In October 2020, the Pakistani High Court upheld the validity of a forced marriage between 44-year-old Ali Azhar and 13-year-old Christian Arzoo Raja. Raja was abducted by Azhar, forcibly wed to Azhar and then forcibly converted to Islam by Azhar.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pakistan high court upholds forced marriage of abducted Catholic minor |url=https://catholicherald.co.uk/pakistan-high-court-upholds-forced-marriage-of-abducted-catholic-minor/ |website=[[Catholic Herald]] |date=October 28, 2020 |access-date=January 15, 2022 |archive-date=January 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115175912/https://catholicherald.co.uk/pakistan-high-court-upholds-forced-marriage-of-abducted-catholic-minor/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-==Consequences==
+==Reasons==
+According to the Child Protection activists, these forced conversions money-making network which involves Islamic clerics who solemnize the marriages, magistrates who legalize the unions and corrupt local police who aid the culprits by refusing to investigate or sabotaging investigations. According to the Child Protection activist Jibran Nasir, these forced conversions are part of a mafia that preys on vulnerable minority girls for older men with pedophilia urges.<ref name="KATHY"/> The [[Pakistan Muslim League]] politician Haresh Chopra&nbsp;has stated that abduction and forced conversion of Hindus and Sikhs girls is a business in Pakistan done by organized gangs of mullahs and terrorists.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Abduction-of-Hindus-Sikhs-have-become-a-business-in-Pak-PML-MP/articleshow/9763515.cms|title=Abduction of Hindus, Sikhs have become a business in Pak: PML MP|newspaper=[[Times of India]]|date=28 August 2011|access-date=13 February 2021|archive-date=2 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102202343/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Abduction-of-Hindus-Sikhs-have-become-a-business-in-Pak-PML-MP/articleshow/9763515.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>
-A survey conducted by a [[Pakistani Hindu]] organization found that a majority of [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|scheduled caste]] Pakistani Hindu families dont send their female children to schools due to the fear of forced conversion and kidnapping.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://m.timesofindia.com/city/chandigarh/hindu-parents-dont-send-girl-children-to-schools-in-pakistan-survey/articleshow/20431451.cms|title=Hindu parents don't send girl children to schools in Pakistan: Report|author=Yudhvir Rana|date=4 June 2013|access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref>
+The culprit involved in forcibly converting a non-Muslim girl to Islam believe that they will earn a place in heaven, according to the Amarnath Motumal, vice chairperson of the Sindh Chapter of Pakistan's Human Rights Commission. Pakistan doesn't have stronger legislation to prevent forced conversions and due to this these forced conversions go unabated.<ref name="DW">{{Cite news|url=https://www..dw.com/en/pakistani-court-allows-hindu-girls-to-decide-their-own-fate/a-15891060|title=Pakistani court allows Hindu girls to decide their own fate|newspaper=DW news|date=18 April 2012|access-date=13 February 2021}}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
-According to [[Ramesh Kumar Vankwani]], a member of the [[National Assembly of Pakistan|National Assembly of Pakistan]], around 5,000 Hindus migrate from Pakistan to India every year due to fear of forced conversions.<ref name="Haider">{{Cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1105830|title=5,000 Hindus migrating to India every year, NA told|last=Haider|first=Irfan|date=13 May 2014|access-date=13 February 2021|archive-date=29 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229174650/http://www.dawn.com/news/1105830|url-status=live}}</ref>  The [[Pakistan Hindu Council]] says that forced conversions are the primary reason for the declining Hindu population in Pakistan.<ref name="auto1">{{citation |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/116289/forced-conversions-of-pakistani-hindu-girls/ |title=Forced conversions of Pakistani Hindu girls |last1=Quratulain |first1=Fatima |date=19 September 2017 |work=[[Daily Times (Pakistan)]] |access-date=13 February 2021 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109134711/https://dailytimes.com.pk/116289/forced-conversions-of-pakistani-hindu-girls/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+Some conversions are forced while some conversions are due to discrimination of poor Hindus in jobs, government facilities and conversion to Islam is seen as a way to avoid religious discrimination and violence.<ref>{{cite news |title=Poor and Desperate, Pakistani Hindus Accept Islam to Get By |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/world/asia/pakistan-hindu-conversion.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=4 August 2020 |last1=Abi-Habib |first1=Maria |last2=Ur-Rehman |first2=Zia |access-date=27 October 2021 |archive-date=14 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814074954/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/world/asia/pakistan-hindu-conversion.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
-==Legality==
+==Consequences==
+A survey conducted by the Pakistan Hindu Seva welfare Trust found that majority of the scheduled caste Hindu families doesn't send their girl children to schools due to the fear of forced conversion.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://m.timesofindia.com/city/chandigarh/hindu-parents-dont-send-girl-children-to-schools-in-pakistan-survey/articleshow/20431451.cms|title=Hindu parents don't send girl children to schools in Pakistan: Report|author=Yudhvir Rana|date=4 June 2013|access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref> According to the, [[Ramesh Kumar Vankwani]], member of National Assembly of Pakistan, around 5,000 Hindus are migrating from Pakistan to India every year and the forced conversions are one of the major reasons behind this.<ref name="Haider">{{Cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1105830|title=5,000 Hindus migrating to India every year, NA told|last=Haider|first=Irfan|date=13 May 2014|access-date=13 February 2021|archive-date=29 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229174650/http://www.dawn.com/news/1105830|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the [[Pakistan Hindu Council]], forced conversions is the foremost reason for the declining population of Hindus in Pakistan.<ref name="auto1">{{citation |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/116289/forced-conversions-of-pakistani-hindu-girls/ |title=Forced conversions of Pakistani Hindu girls |last1=Quratulain |first1=Fatima |date=19 September 2017 |work=[[Daily Times (Pakistan)]] |access-date=13 February 2021 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109134711/https://dailytimes.com.pk/116289/forced-conversions-of-pakistani-hindu-girls/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Hindus in Sindh live in fear, due to forced marriage of Hindu girls to Muslim men.<ref>{{cite web |title=Forced conversions torment Pakistan's Hindus |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/8/18/forced-conversions-torment-pakistans-hindus |publisher=[[Al Jazeera English]] |access-date=2021-10-27 |archive-date=2019-06-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629081246/https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/08/forced-conversions-torment-pakistan-hindus-201481795524630505.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Many Pakistani Hindus migrate to India due to forced conversions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Waves of Hindus trade Pakistan for India|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|url=https://www.dw.com/en/waves-of-hindus-trade-pakistan-for-india/a-15799122|access-date=2021-10-27|archive-date=2021-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027050825/https://www.dw.com/en/waves-of-hindus-trade-pakistan-for-india/a-15799122|url-status=live}}</ref>
+==Legal responses==
 [[File:Dalit Sujag Tehreek protesting against Forced Conversion.jpg|thumb|right|280px|[[Dalit Sujag Tehreek]] protesting against forced conversion of [[Dalit]] Hindu girls]]
+Pakistan does not have strong enough legislation to prevent forced conversions, due to which the conversions are beieved to go on unabated.<ref name="DW"/>
-Pakistan does not have strong laws designed to prevent coerced religious conversion, which has drawn criticism for allowing coerced conversions to go largely unpunished. <ref name="DW">{{Cite news|url=https://www..dw.com/en/pakistani-court-allows-hindu-girls-to-decide-their-own-fate/a-15891060|title=Pakistani court allows Hindu girls to decide their own fate|newspaper=DW news|date=18 April 2012|access-date=13 February 2021}}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
-In November 2016, a bill prohibiting forced conversion was passed by the [[Provincial Assembly of Sindh|Sindh Provisional Assembly]] however, the [[Governor of Sindh]] faced pressure from muslim groups not to sign the bill, leading to it not becoming a law.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-artslaw/ptr/ciforb/Forced-Conversions-and-Forced-Marriages-in-Sindh.pdf |title=Forced Conversions & Forced Marriages in Sindh, Pakistan |publisher=CIFORB, the [[University of Birmingham]] |first1=Reuben |last1=Ackerman |first2=Javaid |last2=Rehman |first3=Morris |last3=Johns |access-date=13 February 2021 |archive-date=29 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929233258/https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-artslaw/ptr/ciforb/Forced-Conversions-and-Forced-Marriages-in-Sindh.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2020 a bill aimed at preventing coerced conversions was introduced in the Senate of Pakistan that could prevent forced conversions of minority girls, but it was turned down by the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony. [[Krishna Kohli|Krishna Kumari Kolhi]], a  Hindu [[Pakistan People's Party|Pakistan Peoples Party]] Senator, walked out of the Senate during the meeting as a form of protest.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tribune.com.pk/story/2282277/senate-panel-turns-down-bill-on-minorities-rights%3famp=1|title=Senate panel 'turns down' bill on minorities rights|newspaper=The Tribune|date=2 February 2021|access-date=13 February 2021|archive-date=28 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928094958/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2282277/senate-panel-turns-down-bill-on-minorities-rights%3Famp=1|url-status=live}}</ref>
+In November 2016, a bill against forced conversion was passed unanimously by the Sindh Provisional Assembly. However, the bill failed to make it into law as the Governor returned the bill. The bill was effectively blocked by the Islamist groups and parties like the [[Council of Islamic Ideology]] and [[Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan]].<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-artslaw/ptr/ciforb/Forced-Conversions-and-Forced-Marriages-in-Sindh.pdf |title=Forced Conversions & Forced Marriages in Sindh, Pakistan |publisher=CIFORB, the [[University of Birmingham]] |first1=Reuben |last1=Ackerman |first2=Javaid |last2=Rehman |first3=Morris |last3=Johns |access-date=13 February 2021 |archive-date=29 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929233258/https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-artslaw/ptr/ciforb/Forced-Conversions-and-Forced-Marriages-in-Sindh.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, a bill against forced conversion was proposed by Hindu politicians in the Sindh assembly, but was turned down by the ruling [[Pakistan Peoples Party]] lawmakers.<ref>{{citation |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2075311/1-ppp-lawmakers-turn-bill-forced-conversions/?amp=1 |title=PPP lawmakers turn down bill against forced conversions |first1=Hafeez |last1=Tunio |work=[[The Express Tribune]] |date=9 October 2019 |access-date=13 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210133900/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2075311/1-ppp-lawmakers-turn-bill-forced-conversions?amp=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2020 "Protection of the Rights of Religious Minorities Bill" was introduced in the Senate of Pakistan that could prevent forced conversions of minority girls, but it was turned down by the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony chaired by [[Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)]] (JUI-F) senator [[Abdul Ghafoor Haideri]]. [[Krishna Kohli|Krishna Kumari Kolhi]], a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator, walked out of the Senate during the meeting as a form of protest.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tribune.com.pk/story/2282277/senate-panel-turns-down-bill-on-minorities-rights%3famp=1|title=Senate panel 'turns down' bill on minorities rights|newspaper=The Tribune|date=2 February 2021|access-date=13 February 2021|archive-date=28 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928094958/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2282277/senate-panel-turns-down-bill-on-minorities-rights%3Famp=1|url-status=live}}</ref>
 ==Response==
 [[File:Protest against forced conversion of Christian girls in Pakistan.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Protest against forced conversion of Christian girls in Pakistan organised by [[National Commission for Justice and Peace|NCJP]]]]
-The Pakistani Nobel Laurette [[Malala Yousafzai]] spoke against forced conversions in Pakistan and said "It should be a personal choice and no one, especially a child shouldn’t be forced to accept any faith or convert to any other religion out of the will,"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailytimes.com.pk/424423/malala-yousafzai-speakes-about-her-perceptive-on-childs-marriage/amp/|title=I strongly condemn any incident where girls are forced to get married: Malala|newspaper=Daily Times|access-date=12 April 2021|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412125526/https://dailytimes.com.pk/424423/malala-yousafzai-speakes-about-her-perceptive-on-childs-marriage/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Pakistani Prime minister Imran Khan has said that forced conversions are 'un-Islamic'<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/forced-conversions-are-un-islamic-says-imran-khan/article28750491.ece/amp/|title=Forced conversions are 'un-Islamic', says Imran Khan|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=12 April 2021|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412125519/https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/forced-conversions-are-un-islamic-says-imran-khan/article28750491.ece/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref> and are against the commands of Allah.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.samaa.tv/news/2017/10/forced-conversions-are-against-the-commands-of-allah-imran/amp/|title=Forced conversions are against the commands of Allah: Imran|newspaper=SAMAA|date=24 October 2017|access-date=12 April 2021|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412125520/https://www.samaa.tv/news/2017/10/forced-conversions-are-against-the-commands-of-allah-imran/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref>
+The Pakistani Nobel Laurette [[Malala Yousafzai]] spoke against forced conversions in Pakistan and said "It should be a personal choice and no one, especially a child shouldn’t be forced to accept any faith or convert to any other religion out of the will,"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailytimes.com.pk/424423/malala-yousafzai-speakes-about-her-perceptive-on-childs-marriage/amp/|title=I strongly condemn any incident where girls are forced to get married: Malala|newspaper=Daily Times|access-date=12 April 2021|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412125526/https://dailytimes.com.pk/424423/malala-yousafzai-speakes-about-her-perceptive-on-childs-marriage/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Pakistani Prime minister Imran Khan has said that forced conversions are 'un-Islamic'<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/forced-conversions-are-un-islamic-says-imran-khan/article28750491.ece/amp/|title=Forced conversions are 'un-Islamic', says Imran Khan|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=12 April 2021|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412125519/https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/forced-conversions-are-un-islamic-says-imran-khan/article28750491.ece/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref> and are against the commands of Allah.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.samaa.tv/news/2017/10/forced-conversions-are-against-the-commands-of-allah-imran/amp/|title=Forced conversions are against the commands of Allah: Imran|newspaper=SAMAA|date=24 October 2017|access-date=12 April 2021|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412125520/https://www.samaa.tv/news/2017/10/forced-conversions-are-against-the-commands-of-allah-imran/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Deputy Leader of [[Conservative Party of Canada]] [[Candice Bergen (politician)|Candice Bergen]] has said that "The reports coming out of Pakistan of Christian and Hindu girls being abducted, raped, forced into marriages and coerced to convert from their faith are deeply concerning and need to be addressed". She also called for the re-establishment of [[Office of Religious Freedom (Canada)|Office of Religious Freedom]] in Canada to address the issue.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nationalpost.com/news/politics/attacks-on-minority-women-in-pakistan-spark-calls-to-reopen-office-of-religious-freedoms-closed-by-liberals/wcm/2d3f5964-bf45-4c82-95f3-2000cc14b5a5/amp/|title=Attacks on minority women in Pakistan spark calls to reopen Office of Religious Freedoms closed by Liberals|newspaper=National post|author=Zeenya Shah|access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref>
+Pakistan has no law to stop forced conversion.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hindu Today, Muslim Tomorrow |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/08/hindu-muslim-pakistan/536238/ |publisher=The Atlantic |access-date=2021-10-27 |archive-date=2018-07-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725113527/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/08/hindu-muslim-pakistan/536238/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Pakistani minority groups protested when Pakistani parliamentary committee rejected the anti forced conversion bill.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parliamentary panel rejects anti-forced conversion bill amid protest by minorities' lawmakers |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1651813 |publisher=Dawn |access-date=2021-10-27 |archive-date=2021-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027044307/https://www.dawn.com/news/1651813 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+The All Pakistan Hindu Panchayat (APHP) general secretary, who in an interview with ''The Times of India'' said the "majority of cases of marriages between Hindu women and Muslim men were result of love affairs. He claimed that due to honor, the family members of women concoct stories of abduction and forced conversions". While the general secretary admitted that there were incidents of abductions and forced conversions of Hindu girls, he claimed that those incidents are not in large numbers.<ref name="Yudhvir Rana (January 30th, 2020).">{{cite news|last1=Rana|first1=Yudhvir|date=30 January 2020|title=Most marriages between Hindu women and Muslim men result of love affairs, not abduction, says All Pakistan Hindu Panchayat|work=[[The Times of India]]|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/most-marriages-between-hindu-women-and-muslim-men-result-of-love-affairs-not-abduction/articleshow/73747515.cms|access-date=3 March 2020|archive-date=3 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303191117/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/most-marriages-between-hindu-women-and-muslim-men-result-of-love-affairs-not-abduction/articleshow/73747515.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>
-[[Candice Bergen (politician)|Candice Bergen]], the Deputy Leader of [[Conservative Party of Canada]], has commented that "The reports coming out of Pakistan of Christian and Hindu girls being abducted, raped, forced into marriages and coerced to convert from their faith are deeply concerning and need to be addressed". She also called for the re-establishment of [[Office of Religious Freedom (Canada)|Office of Religious Freedom]] in Canada to address the issue.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nationalpost.com/news/politics/attacks-on-minority-women-in-pakistan-spark-calls-to-reopen-office-of-religious-freedoms-closed-by-liberals/wcm/2d3f5964-bf45-4c82-95f3-2000cc14b5a5/amp/|title=Attacks on minority women in Pakistan spark calls to reopen Office of Religious Freedoms closed by Liberals|newspaper=National post|author=Zeenya Shah|access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref>
 ==See also==