In a situation that has become far too common in Pakistan, a young Christian girl was abducted on August 22nd and then forcibly converted to Islam and married against her will to the abductor. The victim, Samreen Aftab, was a ninth-grade student at a school in Jaranwala where her father is employed as the principal. According to her father, Aftab Joseph, she was abducted by a Muslim man named Muhammad Amir.
The girl's parents attempted to recover their daughter from the kidnapper, including filing a police report. Unfortunately, the process was delayed by the local village council, who expressed their intent to resolve the matter internally. A week later, a marriage certificate and a certificate of conversion to Islam were presented, further complicating the process.
In a strange twist of events, a police report has since been filed against the victimized girl's father, Aftab, and five other members of her family, accusing them all of kidnapping Samreen. The accusers are listed as Muhammad Amir and "Kaneez Fatima" (the new Muslim name given to Samreen during her supposed conversion to Islam).
The use of false accusations to turn the sentiments of the police against victims of persecution is not an uncommon occurrence in Pakistan. However, an accusation of kidnapping filed by the kidnapper and his abducted victim is most unusual. This reversed accusation not only diverts attention from the gravity of the crime, but it can also obstruct the investigation. In response, Samreen's family intends to seek justice for their daughter by taking the case to the high court.
The use of kidnapping and forced conversions against those of religious minorities, along with false accusations of blasphemy, are common ways in which many Christians in Pakistan experience persecution. For more reports addressing the injustices experienced by believers in this South Asian country, go to our country report.
Please pray that Samreen will be able to safely return to her family, despite the pressures she may be facing from her abductor. Also prayerfully uphold her father Aftab and the other members of this victimized family who are now having to deal with the perpetrator's false accusations. May the charges against this family not be enacted, but instead may our Heavenly Father – the Righteous Judge – work mightily in the hearts of Pakistan's judicial leaders so that justice will ultimately prevail in their situation.
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