By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
A detailed report on the kidnap and forced conversion of a 24 year-old Pakistani Catholic girl will be presented to the UN Council for Human Rights within the next few weeks in order to draw attention to the plight of Christian girls who are routinely kidnapped and forced to convert before being married to Muslim men.
Agenzia Fides is reporting that the case of Farah Hatim is about to have its day in court as several Catholic NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) put the finishing touches on an extensive report about the Hatim case. Dominicans for Justice and Peace, Franciscans International, and Pax Romana will present the report and make an official appeal to the UN High Commissioner who is then required to open an official investigation.
Hatim, a student nurse at the Sheikh Zaid Medical College Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan, was on her way to work on the morning of May 7, 2011, when she was stopped by several Muslim men who took her to an undisclosed location. Since that time, her family has learned that she was forced to convert to Islam and married to a Muslim named Zeeshan Alliace Shani Shah. The Muslim family where she now lives insists that she left her family willingly. Hatim’s family does not believe this is true.
According to Fides sources, the Hatim case is a typical example of a Christian girl kidnapped and forcibly converted. ” We record dozens,” said a Catholic nun to Fides, who works in Punjab.
Another Catholic source in Punjab told Fides: “Kidnapping and converting Christian girls and other religious minorities appears to become a tactic to eliminate Christians and Hindus from Punjab. One should always report such cases in order to bring them to the attention of the international community. The most serious problems are impunity and collusion of the police force, as in the case of Farah, they refuse to prosecute offenders. This attitude acts as a multiplier of such criminal acts.”
However, thanks to the efforts of the Church, the Hatim case is about to achieve a much higher profile in the international community.
Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, permanent Observer of the Holy See’s UN office in Geneva called the case of Farah Hatim “an abuse of freedom of conscience and religion.” Because “freedom of religion is a test for the respect of all human rights,” Msgr. Tomasi is calling for a “revision of the judicial system” in Pakistan in order to better protect the rights of minorities.
He acknowledged that the Hatim case is one of many and says the problem with this case, and others like it, is that once a girl has been taken, there is no way to communicate with her to determine whether she was a willing accomplice or if she needs help. “There should be a mechanism that, in these situations, allows a direct dialogue with the lawyers, with the family, with state officials to investigate and ascertain the truth. In our experience, it is a violation of human rights, freedom of conscience and religion, and abuse on personal freedom, freedom to choose how to live one`s life,” he said.
Msgr. Tomasi thinks an investigation by the UN is in order. “When there are such situations of persecution against religious minorities, Christians or other faiths, it is important that detailed documentation is made available to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,” he told Fides.
“Solidarity with Christians who suffer for their faith and, in cases like this must be remembered. I think the facilities of the international community, created for the protection of persecuted people, should be used.”
He added: “Moreover, indifference on behalf of Western media should be shaken, because they often do not report the discrimination that millions of believers suffer.”
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