Court Rulings for Forcibly Married Christian Youth

The kidnapping of young teens in Pakistan continues to be a serious concern for Christians and other religious minorities. After being kidnapped, many of these girls are forcibly "converted" to Islam and then compelled to marry their captors or other men associated with the crimes. While some state governments have introduced legislation to stop this abusive practice – including a law that recently passed in the Islamabad area – the courts frequently favour the kidnappers because of the pressures they encounter from militant Islamic groups. Two recent cases highlight the many challenges facing Christian girls in this South Asian country.

In the first incident, a 15-year-old girl was kidnapped from her home in Punjab province on January 25th. For safety reasons, the victim's name has not been publicly disclosed. According to the family's attorney, the teen girl was taken captive by Muhammad Anees and his four accomplices. Police informed the girl's parents 12 days later that their daughter had purportedly converted to Islam and married the attacker of her own free will. However, the family quickly recognized that the documents presented to support this claim were fabricated. While the certificates stated that their daughter had married Muhammad on January 17th, and converted to Islam the next day, the teen's parents confirm that she was at home with her family at that time.

After police failed to recover their daughter, the family filed a petition with the Lahore High Court, ordering the authorities to locate those responsible. Thankfully, Muhammad and two others were brought before the court on May 6th and subsequently detained in prison. Due to the level of trauma experienced by the girl, the judge ruled that she would be placed in a government-operated rehabilitation shelter. While at the shelter, it was determined that the teen was four months pregnant. Two weeks later, the girl gave a statement expressing her desire to return to the custody of her parents, which was granted on May 21st.

In a similar incident, 16-year-old Jessica Iqbal was kidnapped from her home in Lahore, Punjab, during the early hours of April 30th. It was then discovered that the Christian girl had allegedly converted to Islam and married a Muslim neighbour named Azeem Ullah.

Accused of abduction, Azeem was brought before a judge on May 16th. During the trial, Jessica made a statement claiming that she had converted to Islam and married the man of her own free will. However, her family stated that she was clearly under duress. Throughout her testimony, the young girl repeatedly expressed concerns for the safety of her family. Additionally, when asked, Jessica was unable to recite the Kalima (the Muslim proclamation of faith) nor respond to any questions about Islam, raising further doubts about the legitimacy of her alleged conversion.

Despite evidence indicating that the teen girl had been coerced, the judge ruled in Azeem's favour and granted him custody of Jessica. Her family, with the support of several advocacy groups, intends to appeal the judge's ruling.

• Praise God for the safe return of the 15-year-old girl who is now reunited with her family. In addition to praying for her ongoing emotional and physical healing, please ask the Lord to grant her family and legal advocates wisdom and guidance as they navigate the challenges ahead – including the teen's unexpected pregnancy.
• Pray for Jessica and the many other girls throughout Pakistan who presently remain under the control of their kidnappers, asking God to divinely protect them and make a way for their freedom.
• May God give the judges in Pakistan courage to resist the external pressures placed upon them so that they would rule with integrity and fairness – and thus uphold justice for all victims of kidnapping and other forms of persecution.