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Pakistani activists demand support for families facing forced conversions

Church backs system for non-Muslim families of the victims of increasing forced conversions in the country
Pakistani activists demand support for families facing forced conversions

Bishop Emeritus Alexander John Malik of Lahore at the National Conference on Protection from Forced Conversion in Lahore, Dec. 8. (Photo: Kamran Chaudhry)

Published: December 10, 2020 07:03 AM GMT
Updated: December 10, 2020 07:16 AM GMT

Health experts and activists have demanded a support system for non-Muslim families of the victims of increasing forced conversions in the country.

“Such violence targets both the victims and their families. They face serious mental health issues due to both external and internal factors. It destroys basic things in their lives,” said Heera Lal Lohano, a Karachi-based psychiatrist.

“These include backlash from society, lifelong post-traumatic stress disorder, isolation, insecurity, anxiety, depression, fear of the unknown, sleeping disorders, nervousness. Eating disorders cause physical health issues as well. Poor performance leads to financial challenges.

“Civil society protests conventionally on the streets but doesn’t sympathize with the victim and their families or supports them. There is no rehabilitation strategy for them. Those affected can neither trust their relatives nor face their business associates. They start worrying about the other school-going children. They are reluctant to send their daughters for education or other engagements.”

Lohano was addressing the National Conference on Protection from Forced Conversion in Lahore on Dec. 8. The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and Peoples’ Commission for Minorities Rights (PCMR) organized the event in anticipation of International Human Rights Day. More than 700 attended online.

According to a recently published CSJ study, 162 questionable conversions were reported in the media between 2013 and November 2020. The highest number of cases (49) were reported in 2019.

According to CSJ research, Bahawalpur district in Punjab province topped the list of forced conversions with 21 reported cases last year, followed by Karachi and Lahore.

Around 52 percent of alleged forced conversions occurred in Punjab province, where more than half of Pakistan's some 3 million people.  Sindh, where most Hindus live, recorded 44 percent of forced conversions.

More than 54 percent of victims (girls and women) belonged to the Hindu community, while 44 percent were Christians. More than 46 percent of victims were minors, with nearly 33 percent aged 11-15, while only 17 percent of victims were above 18.

Most of the minors were married against their will. Even those who fall in love with their Muslim spouses generally fail to win much respect from their in-laws. Despite converting to Islam, they are often referred to as "churha" (low caste) — a derogatory term that is often hurled at Christians who do menial jobs like sweeping the streets.

Lohano said the victims need "desperately need a moral, social, and financial support system."

Social activists can help them return to a normal life, he said. The community should avoid indirectly blaming, taunting, and demoralizing victims’ families.

"Think collectively and keep updates of the family members. Minorities should be sensitized to keep proper documentation of their children. Spending time with children can help in sharing their feelings,” he said.

According to Pushpa Kumari, a member of the Sindh Human Rights Commission forced conversions further hinder the victims’ families’ access to fair trials and little recourse against the perpetrators.

“Religious minorities are often marginalized and segregated due to their low socio-economic status, poor health conditions, and low literacy. The rate of forced conversion among indigenous people is 97 percent,” she said during the online conference.

“The stigma results in challenges in marriages of the victim’s siblings. Many prefer to migrate to another city or a country. Suicide rate increases in such families.”

Church of Pakistan Bishop Emeritus Alexander John Malik of Lahore supported the demands.

“People barely pay attention to the psychological impact on the victims and their families. The issue relates to abduction, conversion, marriage, and women trafficking. All this is sanctified. This tarnishes the image of Islam. Our premier speaks for Kashmir, Palestine and unity against Islamophobia. What about Christianophobia in Pakistan,” he asked.

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