New Delhi (NVI): A 13-year-old Christian girl, Arzoo Masih, was reportedly abducted last week outside of her home in Karachi, Pakistan, and was forcibly converted to Islam and married off to her 44-year-old captor.
Two days later, the girl’s parents were informed that she had become the latest victim of forced conversion and marriage.
On October 13, Arzoo was abducted by a local Muslim man, Ali Azhar, when she was playing outside of her home in Karachi’s St. Anthony’s Parish, according to International Christian Concern.
Reportedly, her parents immediately filed a kidnapping complaint with the local police.
On October 15, police summoned Arzoo’s parents to the station where they were presented with marriage and conversion documents.
These documents claimed Arzoo was 18 and that she had converted to Islam and married Azhar willingly.
International Christian Concern took to twitter recently and wrote, “13-year-old #Christian girl in #Pakistan abducted, forcefully converted, and forcefully married to abductor. #Prayer needed.”
13-year-old #Christian girl in #Pakistan abducted, forcefully converted, and forcefully married to abductor. #Prayer needed: https://t.co/HwklQIGCZV
— International Christian Concern (@persecutionnews) October 19, 2020
According to the Movement for Solidarity and Peace (MSP), a human rights organization in the country, around 1,000 Christian and Hindu women and girls are kidnapped each year, forced to convert and marry Muslim men.
The victims are usually between the ages of 12 and 25. Despite these shocking statistics, the number of victims may be even higher as many cases remain unreported, often due to the girls’ families limited financial means.
Earlier in April this year, a 14-year-old Christian girl, Myra Shehbaz, was also reportedly abducted and forced to marry in Faisalabad, Punjab.
-CHK
