Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
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Kasur (Agenzia Fides) – She has been recaptured by her tormentor who wants her as his bride: the ordeal of Fouzia Sadiqe continues, a Christian woman who lived with her parents until a Muslim kidnapped and forced her to convert to Islam and Islamic marriage. After the kidnapping, which occurred in July 2015 (see Fides 25/07/2015), on March 8 this year Fouzia had managed to escape and had asked Christian lawyer Sardar Mushtaq Gill for assistance. Fouzia had also launched an urgent appeal to all women abducted and forcibly converted in Pakistan (see Fides 11/03/2016). The woman had hidden but yesterday she had asked to be able to celebrate Palm Sunday together with her family. On that occasion, some men kidnapped her again. The woman’s family now fears strong pressure, threats, psychological and physical violence and torture because she may declare before the judge of having freely choosen the man and the Islamic religion.
As reported by Fides sources, there are at least a thousand annually reported cases of girls of religious minorities, Christian and Hindu, kidnapped and converted to Islam, but thousands of other cases are not reported. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 21/03/2016)
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