A Christian woman has accused three men of repeatedly raping her earlier this month and attempting to force her to convert to Islam, according to a September 27 report from Compass Direct. Testifying in court on September 22, Ribqa Masih (22) said that Ghulam Abbas and Mohammad Kashif drugged her on September 2 and took her to Lahore, approximately 100 km from her home. Upon arrival, she was repeatedly raped throughout the night. They threatened to kill her and her family if she did not recite the Islamic creed, which would have been considered an official conversion to Islam. She refused, saying she would rather die than renounce her faith.
The next morning, she was handed over to another man who was supposed to take her home. Instead, he raped her several times over the next three days. Finally on September 6 she was taken to Faisalabad and left at a bus stop. She hired a rickshaw to take her to her uncle's home where she called her parents. Only one man, Abbas, has been taken into custody. He denies the charges. Ribqa still has difficulty walking because of her injuries.
According to Masih's lawyer, Khalil Tahir, many girls do not report rapes because of the impact on their family honor. Such honor is often a matter of life and death in Pakistan. "Nobody wants to marry these girls, even though they are innocent," said Tahir. Masih's priest, Father Paschal Paulus, credits the family for their willingness to stand with Ribqa. Her six younger siblings have been forced to leave school because of taunts and threats. The family has also been threatened by their Muslim neighbours if they do not drop the charges.
Pray for protection for this family. Pray that they will have courage to stand firm, despite the opposition they face. Pray for the emotional and physical healing of this young woman.
For more information on persecution of Christians in Pakistan, click here.
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