Pak Hindu girls forced to convert to Islam

Mid day ^ | November 13, 2005 | Hasan Mansoor

[Gengis Khan]

 Pak Hindu girls forced to convert to Islam
   By: Hasan Mansoor
   November 13, 2005

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When a Hindu girl is converted to Islam, hundreds of extremists belonging to religious parties such as Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI), take to the streets and chant religious slogans

Karachi: An alarming trend — that of Muslims kidnapping Pakistani Hindu girls and forcing them to convert to Islam — in Pakistan’s Sindh province is forcing the worried resident Hindu community to marry off their daughters as soon as they are of marriageable age or to migrate to India, Canada or other nations.

Recently, at least 19 such abduction cases have occurred in Karachi alone, while several others have been reported in the media.

Sanao Menghwar, a Hindu resident of Karachi’s Punjab Colony, is a traumatised man; all three of his daughters —Aishwarya, Reena and Reema — have been kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam.

In the police complaint that he filed at the behest of the Panchayat after two days of futile searching for his daughters, he stated that when he and his wife returned home from work, they discovered their daughters had gone missing.

The police arrested three Muslim youths in connection with the crime, who were later granted bail by a court because they’re minors. Menghwar’s daughters continue to remain missing.

“Kidnapping Hindu girls like this has become a normal practice. The girls are then forced to sign stamp papers stating that they’ve become Muslims,” says Laljee Menghwar, a member of the Hindu Panchayat in Karachi.

According to him, the Pakistani government needs to examine and put a stop to the social oppression of religious minorities in the country. “Hindus here are too frightened to vent their anger — they fear victimisation. But we have now decided to go public with these cases and demand justice,” Laljee says. Their cause has found support in the Pakistani Christian community, who carried out a demonstration with them in Karachi, protesting against this crime.

Similarly startling incidents have occurred in several districts of Sindh and evoked identical responses. At least six Hindu girls met this fate a few months ago in Jacobabad (a tribal area heavily inhabited by Hindus) and Larkana districts.

Sapna, the daughter of one Seth Giyanchand, was recently taken to a shrine (Amrote in Shikarpur district) by Shamsuddin Dasti. Dasti, a Muslim friend of Sapna’s brother, is a married man and father of two.

Nevertheless, the custodian of the shrine, Maulvi Abdul Aziz lost no time in converting Sapna to Islam (her names was changed to ‘Mehek’) and marrying her to Dasti. The case came to light only when Sapna’s parents stated that their daughter hadn’t eloped but been abducted.

Human rights activists, such as Nuzhat Shirin who belongs to the Aurat Foundation, says that religious extremism is rapidly increasing in Jacobabad and other Sindh districts.

Extremists in turn encourage shrines, which are involved with forced conversions. When a Hindu girl is converted to Islam, hundreds of extremists belonging to religious parties such as Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI), take to the streets and chant religious slogans.

In Sapna’s case, when she was presented in court with Dasti, extremists showered rose petals on them and loudly chanted religious slogans. The fanaticism was so daunting that Sapna was too frightened to even speak with her own parents who were also present in the courtroom. At that, Maulvi Aziz, who was also standing in the courtroom, was said to have remarked, “How can a Muslim girl live and maintain contact with kafirs (infidels)?”

Sapna’s story sparked widespread demonstrations by the Hindu community. Presidents and mukhis of Panchayats from various towns and districts met in Jacobabad to discuss this serious issue. Activists and leaders from educated segments of society strongly criticised the role of religious leaders, like Maulvi Aziz, in these forced conversion cases.

Still, the threat of victimisation by Muslims is palpable; Shirin says when forced conversion cases make it to court, lawyers themselves avoid taking them up, fearing a backlash from maulvis.

Giyanchand meanwhile has said that he has no other option but to migrate to India — it will be difficult for him to find grooms for his other daughters because of Sapna’s controversial conversion.

And forced conversions are not the only problem that the Hindu minority (there are 2.7 million Hindus in Pakistan; Pakistan’s total population is 140 million) is facing in the country.

A powerful syndicate of bandits and patrons in the northern districts of Sindh regularly kidnap rich Hindus for ransom. They not kill hostages if the ransom doesn’t arrive on time, they even kill some despite their ransom being paid.

Sadham Chand Chawla, the former president of the Hindu Panchayat, Jacobabad, was abducted and murdered. His killers remain at large despite enormous protests. Following his murder, his family had received several threats until they secretly migrated to India.

Kidnap Hindu Girl, Force Marriage to Muslim: Pakistan
By J. Grant Swank Jr. (11/25/05)

Sanao Menghwar has had three of his daughters kidnapped, then forced to marry Muslim men. That means that the young women were coerced into becoming Islamics.

This happens daily, particularly in the Pakistani Sindh province, according to Hasan Mansoor, reporter, Midday.com.

Other Hindus in the province worry when their daughters will disappear. Therefore, there are entire Hindu families leaving Pakistan for Canada, India or other nations.Menghewar and his wife left their house on errands. When they returned to their residence, their daughters were missing. They reported the missing young women to the police department, filing the necessary papers. Neighbors helped them on a search party to locate the daughters, but to no avail.

Menghwar’s daughters have yet to be found. However, authorities have arrested three Islamic young men assumed to be connected with the girls’ kidnapping. The men have been released on bail by a court due to the men being minors.


"’Kidnapping Hindu girls like this has become a normal practice. The girls are then forced to sign stamp papers stating that they’ve become Muslims,’ says Laljee Menghwar, a member of the Hindu Panchayat in Karachi."

Because of Muslim threats, Hindus have had to turn to what those in the Netherlands are resorting to. Both areas have been under extreme pressure from maiming and killing Islamics so that the local citizens have put into action what one person refers to as "self-censorship."

There is no talk. There is no public utterance. There is nothing said negatively about the Muslims in the area for fear of being slain.

So it is that Islamic killers international could overtake country after country, area after area. Instill such fear in the people that no one speaks the facts concerning local Islamics kidnapping and killing; therefore, they have open skies to do just that — more so.

"’Hindus here are too frightened to vent their anger — they fear victimization,’ said one local."

Nevertheless, Pakistani Christian community members have come to their aid. The Christians have organized support for the Hindus persecuted by Muslims. The Christians have "carried out a demonstration with them in Karachi, protesting against this crime.

"Similarly startling incidents have occurred in several districts of Sindh and evoked identical responses. At least six Hindu girls met this fate a few months ago in Jacobabad (a tribal area heavily inhabited by Hindus) and Larkana districts.

"Sapna, the daughter of one Seth Giyanchand, was recently taken to a shrine (Amrote in Shikarpur district) by Shamsuddin Dasti. Dasti, a Muslim friend of Sapna’s brother, is a married man and father of two.

"Nevertheless, the custodian of the shrine, Maulvi Abdul Aziz lost no time in converting Sapna to Islam (her name was changed to ‘Mehek’) and marrying her to Dasti. The case came to light only when Sapna’s parents stated that their daughter hadn’t eloped but had been abducted."

Islamic fanaticism is increasing alarmingly, according to Nuzzhat Shirin of the Aurat Foundation. The fanatics erect shrines that are used in coercing "conversions." When a Hindu is forced to become a Muslim, zealot Islamics gather at the shrines, chanting and singing and marching in the streets.

Such a ruckus is made that if the young kidnapped girl appears in court, the fanatic Muslims yell, scream, throw rose petals into the air and follow the youth into the building so that she is so intimidated that she can hardly speak.

It is Muslim winning by intimidation. It is Muslim overcoming a culture by threatening. It is by Islamics abducting young girls that an entire community is snuffed out by moving away or succumbing to the Muslim murderers global.


"The threat of victimization by Muslims is palpable; Shirin says when forced conversion cases make it to court, lawyers themselves avoid taking them up, fearing a backlash from maulvis."

It is the same with so-called "honor killing." When Muslim males slay a Hindu female whom they have accused of dishonoring the clan in some way, usually police and media say nothing, looking the other way. Therefore, the slaughtering of innocent females continues daily.

"And forced conversions are not the only problem that the Hindu minority (there are 2.7 million Hindus in Pakistan; Pakistan’s total population is 140 million) is facing in the country.

"A powerful syndicate of bandits and patrons in the northern districts of Sindh regularly kidnap rich Hindus for ransom. They not only kill hostages if the ransom doesn’t arrive on time, they even kill some despite their ransom being paid.

"Sadham Chand Chawla, the former president of the Hindu Panchayat, Jacobabad, was abducted and murdered. His killers remain at large despite enormous protests. Following his murder, his family had received several threats until they secretly migrated to India."

Copyright © 2005 by J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Ed: Views are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of American Daily.

 

Hindu girls increasingly facing abduction in Pak

Karachi: Hindu girls in Pakistan are facing an increasing risk of being abducted, even as one more such case has come to light in the Sindh province’s Nawabshah district. According to the Dawn, a primary school teacher allegedly abducted a Hindu girl Amrita Kumari a few days ago, and the girl has not been traced so far.

The latest abduction case drew the Hindu community to set up a panchayat to air their grievance before the local and provincial governments.

Following the pressure mounted by the Hindu community, the local government of Nawabshah district ordered an inquiry into the alleged kidnapping, while the Sindh government assured “safety and security” for the minority community.

Nawabshah district Nazim Ms Faryal Talpur, while ordering inquiry into the alleged case, said that she was serving the people of Nawabshah “without discrimination” and safety and security of minorities was the responsibility of the district government.

She directed the executive district officer education to coordinate with police officials and if the school-teacher was found guilty, strict disciplinary and departmental action would be taken against him, said the paper.

Meanwhile, the Sindh province government has also directed the provincial police to conduct an inquiry. Ghulam Rasool Unnar, Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Political Affairs said that the Hindu community was “safe and secure” and he had assured them of cooperation and justice.

Hindu Human Rights Protest on Sunday 18 December 2005 to the Pakistan Government for Human Rights Abuses upon the Hindu Minority

The recent upsurge in the kidnappings of Hindu women and girls in Pakistan has raised deep concerns about the rights and future of the Hindu minority in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. (PRWEB) November 22, 2005 -- The recent upsurge in the kidnappings of Hindu women and girls in Pakistan has raised deep concerns about the rights and future of the Hindu minority in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Reports suggest that murders and lootings of Hindus have also been on the increase in Pakistan. Numerous Hindu temples have been vandalised or destroyed in the last few years. The small Hindu minority lives in constant fear of persecution and harassment in Pakistan. Yet the authorities have failed in every case to take action against known criminals and have yet to lift a finger to help find those Hindus who are still missing. Indeed, the constitution and legal system of the country openly discriminates against the Hindu minority. Enough is enough and it is time for all civilised people to stand up and let their voices be heard in a protest to the Pakistani authorities. Before independence from colonial rule, in 1947, Hindus made up approximately 25% of the population of what became Pakistan. Even after the Partition of the Indian Sub-continent, Hindus were still a 15% minority in that region. Today, repeated genocide and ethnic cleansing has forced the number of Hindus down to below 2% of the population – however this represents more than 5 times the number of Hindus living here in the UK. Join us to protest against the ongoing Human Rights abuses against the Hindu minority in Pakistan on Sunday 18 December 2005 from 12 pm onwards outside the Pakistan High Commission, 34-36 Lowndes Square, London. Nearest tube station: Knightsbridge (Piccadilly line). Hindu Human Rights Serving Hindus Worldwide

[Gengis Khan]

My point exactly.

[MSCASEY]

These people should not call themselves Christians because it is not the way of Christ! These people know not Christ or our
Father in Heaven. There hearts are far away! And there is NO EXCUSE FOR THIS BEHAIVOR FROM ANYONE!!!!

I hope that justice will find them here on earth.

Ms. Casey's Daughter

[MSCASEY]

Mid day news vs. World Net Daily! Okay whatever you say!

Ms. Casey's Daughter

[HiTech RedNeck]

OK, where is the righteous indignation of the Injuns who were going to burn the 60 Christians? Oh, Muslims have a nasty way of kicking back when you do that to them? I see.

[CarrotAndStick]

Some background info on the terrorists who massacred innocent Hindus in India:

National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT)

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/nlft.htm

The National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) was formed in December 1989 for the purpose of seceding from India in order to create an independent Christian fundamentalist state of Tripura. The group was banned under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967.

The headquarters of NLFT is located in the Khagrachari district of Bangladesh, about 40-45 km southeast of Simanapur.

In Tripura a systematic surrender of arms by a faction of NLFT insurgents and NLFT fringe groups is due to the increased security pressure and to infighting within NLFT insurgent ranks. Since 2000 a few hundred militants have surrendered in small groups to the security forces, handing in their weapons. The NLFT leadership engaged in peace talks with Mizoram Chief Zoramthanga in April 2001, however the NLFT has not promised acceptance of any future peace process.

The NLFT has set up a number of camps in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), in the Sylhet, Maulavi Bazar, Habiganj and Comilla regions. NLFT also has ties with Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence Agency (ISI).



Aside: Just like how you go on to claim these people are not Christians, same goes with the supposed "Hindus" who kill innocents. So let's not be too selective and cherry-pick "news" to support an agenda, because if we do, there's no end to it. After all, we mustn't be hypocrites, dontcha agree?

[Blood of Tyrants]

Yes, that was 400 years ago. Remember?

[Blood of Tyrants]

And the difference is that the vast majority of Christians condemn this act, as do I. Now, how many Hindus and Mulims will stand up and denounce terrorism and using force to convert people to their religion?

Yea, I'll give you a century or two to find some, but no more than that.

[Gengis Khan]

World Net Daily ......wasn't it the one that reported Nankana (and the incidents happening over there) to be in India. LOL!

WND is a joke to journalism.

[Gengis Khan]

"These people should not call themselves ........."

The Christian Church is behind these attacks.

My point is that Muslims and Hindus aren't the only people to have terrorists although 90% of the worlds terrorists are Muslims.

[Gengis Khan]

".........how many Hindus and Mulims will stand up and denounce terrorism and using force to convert people to their religion?"

Don't know about Muslims but when Graham Stains and his sons were killed, almost every Hindu organization and the Indian media strongly condemned it. The killers have also been brought to justice. In India let alone Christians, even when Muslims are killed the media is up in arms. Its also the reason why the last Hindu (BJP) government was routed in the elections.

[CarrotAndStick]

Now, how many Hindus and Muslims will stand up and denounce terrorism and using force to convert people to their religion?

I don't know about the Muslims, but whenever atrocities are committed against India's minorities, public outrage is swift. The previous "Hindu Nationalists" were voted out of power, for crying out loud.

However the silence regarding the issue of "Christian" terrorists in India's North-East (see earlier posts) from other Christians/ Christian organisations is getting too loud...not even press coverage in their media to highlight the issue.

[Gengis Khan]

"OK, where is the righteous indignation of the Injuns who were going to burn the 60 Christians? "

That news is all bull.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1527903/posts

And Christians arn't so innocent either:
http://www.hinduhumanrights.org/news/newsarticle011005.html

"Oh, Muslims have a nasty way of kicking back when you do that to them? I see."

Hindus are a small minority in Pakistan so its easy. They wont dare do that in India. They know very well what Hindus are capable of.

[little jeremiah]

Just posted this on another related thread, for your consideration:

A. The article is 3 years old. AFAIK, the Hindu political party the article is about has lost quite a bit of power since then.
[link to the referenced article: http://afr.com/articles/2003/09/26/1064083184365.html]


B. Muslim violence against Hindus so far outweighs anything Hindus have done IN RETURN regarding length (many hundreds or even more than one thousand years), breadth (over much of greater India, and what to speak of so many other Asian and South Asian countries which used to be primarily Hindu, such as Indonesia), and intensity (millions killed), that I have a hard time being extremely judgmental against Hindus.

That said, no innocent people should ever, ever suffer or "pay" for something they didn't personlly do. So the shame and guilt is on every person, no matter what their religious label, who hurts, terrorizes, or kills any civilians or innocent people.

C. If we look at the situation in India and Pak in an unbiased manner, it is crystal clear who are the overall aggressers and perpetrators of violence and terrorism. To try to blame Hindus in the same breath as Muslims is sheer stupidity or out and out lying.

D. As the articles posted above noted, "Christians" in India have also been known to carry weapons and kill innocents as well.

E. If people want to look at the whole world and see where is religious violence happening, and who is the guilty party, it will be clear in 30 seconds who are the perpetrators: Muslims primarily, and the Communists in China and North Korea and a few other places. Why not focus on those who are actively trying to kill Christians and members of other religions (for instance, Hindus and Buddhists) all over the world? Jailing them, beheading them, raping them, shooting, etc. Look at what's happening in Indonesia - school girls getting their heads chopped off because they are Christian. Look at Saudi Arabia - it's illegal to even bring a Bible into the country. When US military personel were there in numbers, everyone was warned not to send them Christmas cards or Bibles. In Pakistan people are killed right and left for reading the Bible to someone, and Christian women are routinely raped as punishment.

Why focus on India, when compared to most every other country in the history of the world, is the emblem of religious diversity and tolerance? If you take Muslims out of the equation, the entire world is practically a place of religious harmony. They (and now, in the US, the ACLU and prefessional atheists) are the main enemies of God in the world.

Not Hindus.

Some people here on FR have a real bee in their bonnets about Hinduism. I have studied the Vedic scriptures - upon which Hinduism is founded - for most of my life. I know more about the scriptural foundation of Vedic religion than most people on FR. Naturally, there are practictioners of any relgion who are not advanced in their own religion and commit many horrors or plain stupidity due to their lack of a real relationship with God. The fault is in human lack, not, in the case of Hinduism or Christianity, in the original scriptures or propounders.

For instance, I accept every word Jesus Christ spoke. I certainly don't accept some of the teachings of many of his followers, if they deviate from his intent and purpose. Same thing with some of what is called Hinduism - if it violates the basic teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, Puranas and other Vedic sciptures, I don't accept it either.

So "Christians" going around killing people, or pressuring and bribing other to convert, especially using things like pictures of Jesus kicking the heads of Hindu deities, are Christians in name only. Hindus who burn alive Muslim women and children who have done them no harm are cultural Hindus but have no connection with the great Vedic religion in truth.

On the other hand, Muslims are ordered in the Koran to slaughter everyone who doesn't surrender to them. Sure, there are some nice words about surrendering to Allah, and his mercy, in the Koran. (I have 2 Korans and have read some of them.) But since its inception, Islam has been nothing other than a force of terror, compulsion, and barbarity.

I hope you seriously consider the points I have made. And if you think India is so intolerant towards, Christians, you really need to take your shades off and study up. Look at Mother Theresa's misssions, and there are many other Christians who have lived in India since one of Jesus' disciples went there almost 2000 years ago.

[familyop]

I'll come out, a little, with the results of an old investigation now. I and others dug into what is behind the anti-Hindu-anti-India disseminations long ago. I and others complained but received no reply. ...only saw more pieces by the likes of Buchanan published.

Some of the same published writers also write for publications in front of the likes of the Serbian Defense League (nasty neo-Nazi effort).

The people behind the propaganda disseminations want a Catholic-Eastern Orthodox merger. They also want a close USA-Russia (Rodine, the Church of Mother Russia fascist Party) alliance. Many in the prevailing Russian Party have stated their desire to ban other religions in Russia. There was even an official Russian interrogation of a top Rabbi to consider banning the Talmud. The US fringe groups who work with them spew propaganda at any hint of an alliance with any nation that's not majority Christian.

That said, some morally conservative Catholic priests and Protestant preachers do question the sincerety of beliefs in the power hungry identity movements. They call their people to their faith and away from the "them against us" mindset of the Crusades (during which Jews were slaughtered in many communities in Europe and Israel, then again denied their homeland).

I'll private message you three with an interesting related tidbit.

[hosepipe]

Question: What is going from the frying pan into the FIRE.?.
Answer: A Hindu becoming a Muslim..

[dagnabbit]

I think our Congress and President import about 15,000 Pakistanis each year as legal, green-carded, immigrants.

Guess we can't let France have all the fun.

[MSCASEY]

There are parts of India were there is not tolerance for other religions. It may be that radical fractions that do not represent the majority have taken over, I do not know.

But to pretend it is not happening or to attempt to justify that type behavior from any group or anyone is wrong. I mean whether they are Christian, Muslim, Hindus or any group.

If we attempt to justify or dismiss it that makes us no better than the people committing such behavior.

Ms. Casey's Daughter

[MSCASEY]

And I wish that there was more that could be done in Pakistan. Writing the government there would not help those that are suffering because of their faith (Christians, Hindus or others).

The government there is all for and behind the persecution going on over there.

In India I believe that there is still some humanity left were they will care and make a difference. In Pakistan they may reward people for this horrible behavior.

Ms. Casey's Daughter

[little jeremiah]

I would never attempt to justify any violence done against innocents, especially in the name of religion. There is cruelty and barbarity in every country on earth, among every group of people - every race, nationality, identity, religion.

I consider it better to focus on groups and nationalities who are the most egregious perpetrators. Hands down, it's Muslims and Communists. And counting abortion, you can add Western Europe (and some Eastern European countires) and the US.

Cruelty and subhuman behavior are, unfortunately, spread all over the planet.

[MSCASEY]

I agree completely with your statement. Only I attempt to help and do what I can where I can to make a difference. Some places like in North Korea, Pakistan and other countries the government applauds persecution so it is very difficult to help.

I also agree about abortion. It is sad that there is no value for life.

Take Care,
Ms. Casey's Daughter