Christian children in Pak are being converted to Islam through forcible marriage

Malaysia Sun (ANI) Wednesday 29th August, 2007

Islamabad, Aug 29 : The recent incidents of two missing children's forcible marriage and their forced conversion to Islam in Pakistan have brought focus to growing religious intolerance in the country where the minorities are being issued deadlines to convert to Islam.

In a report published in Journal Chretien, BosNewsLife reports that in a series of anti-Christian incidents across the country, at least two missing Christian children in Pakistan were forced to marry and convert to Islam.

A marriage certificate for 16-year-old Shamaila Tabassum indicates that the marriage took place 12 days before her disappearance, earlier this month.

Tabassum allegedly disappeared after telling her relatives that she was on her way to the hospital with several Muslim neighbours to visit her father, who she said had suffered a serious accident.

But the Christian girl's family apparently became worried about her absence after her father arrived home from work in perfect health.

News of the disappearance came shortly after several Christian lawyers joined the legal branch of advocacy group All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA), aimed at providing free legal assistance to minority people in the country amid growing concerns about kidnappings of Christians and attacks against churches.

In addition, Christians and Hindus in northern Pakistan have reportedly received dozens of letters threatening them with death if they do not convert to Islam.

The letters were also sent to seven churches and five Christian settlements in Peshawar, and the Catholic priest of the city, Yousaf Amanat, also said that he had received a letter by mail telling him to convert to Islam by August 14.