Forced

The rise in incidents of minor Hindu girls being abducted and forced to convert to Islam in Sindh and some parts of southern Punjab is alarming. This exposes the vulnerability of minorities in our country. This is happening under the patronage of so-called Islamic zealots, extremists with a myopic and unrealistic understanding of Islam. These people want to damage the religious diversity and social fabric of Sindh. The Hindu minority feels insecure and frustrated. In a majority of such cases the girls are from lower-caste, poor families. Due to fear, insecurities and with so many social constraints, the minority finds it impossible to report such cases when the police too are not keen on helping or protecting them. Therefore, the reported number of forced conversions may be far less than actual reality.Forced conversion is against the spirit of Islam, unconstitutional and a serious human rights violation. In a true democratic state, protection and safety of minorities lies with the state. The state must take a firm stand. Our legislators need to pass a unanimous bill on this issue without any fear and pressure.M ShahjahanIslamabad

from The News International - Newspost http://bit.ly/2WRTeyi