Against their will

Published August 2, 2021

THE case of Reena Meghwar has highlighted yet again the reprehensible practice of forced conversions in the country.

The case emerged last week when a local court in Badin, Sindh, allowed the victim to leave her ‘husband’ and reunite with her family. This was Reena’s third appearance in court since February 2021. She retracted her earlier two statements about converting to Islam and wanting to live with her ‘husband’, saying that her previous stance was on account of the threat to her family. The court not only ordered her release but also instructed the police to register new cases against her ‘husband’.

Unfortunately, Reena’s ordeal is not uncommon. Her case is nevertheless significant because a local court demonstrated its writ without bowing to influential quarters that are often found supporting the perpetrators. Moreover, in a large number of such cases, the physical and emotional duress of the victims remains in the background, and does not become part of the court record.

Read: Forced conversion, real terror

A similar case occurred last year when a 13-year-old Christian girl from Karachi was allowed to live with her so-called husband by the Sindh High Court on the basis of spurious documents, and the girl’s statement that she was 18 years of age and had married of her own free will. The high court too later reversed its decision and put the teenager in protective custody when new evidence emerged.

Estimates indicate that some 1,000 girls from minority communities mostly in Sindh are forcibly converted to Islam every year in the country. Most of them are also under the legal marriageable age, yet the authorities are hesitant to take action as the perpetrators often have connections in high circles. Implementation of child marriage laws must be ensured to curtail at least one aspect of forced conversions. It is also time for the Sindh Assembly to push back against regressive elements who had taken objection to a bill to deter forced conversions and succeeded in stopping its passage.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram atrocity
Updated 22 Nov, 2024

Kurram atrocity

It would be a monumental mistake for the state to continue ignoring the violence in Kurram.
Persistent grip
22 Nov, 2024

Persistent grip

PAKISTAN has now registered 50 polio cases this year. We all saw it coming and yet there was nothing we could do to...
Green transport
22 Nov, 2024

Green transport

THE government has taken a commendable step by announcing a New Energy Vehicle policy aiming to ensure that by 2030,...
Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...