Daily Times

Asma Yaqoob, 25-year-old, Pakistani Christian girl succumbed to burn injuries on April 22, Sunday. Asma was receiving treatment in Lahore’s Mayo Hospital since few days. She was attacked by a Muslim man who allegedly forced her to convert Islam.

The poor parents of Asma kept fighting on two fronts: saving their daughter and seeking justice against the inhumane act. They lost their daughter and their hopes died when  the investigating police officer told them that the attacker had mental health issues.

Minorities, especially the Christian community, blame the parliamentarians for remaining silent about their plight. But on the contrary, I have always held the view that the purpose of the presence of Christian members in the parliament is not to speak for their communities, but to remain a symbolic voice as legislatures of the marginalized community. They ought to remain loyal to the state and its constitution.

Some elements in the state and parliament, on the contrary, accuse the minorities of being unnecessarily critical of their treatment. They say the Christian rights activists are working on foreign payroll.

Marriage is a social agreement between two individuals who, with their free will, agree to live as a unit. There is nothing wrong if a Christian girl falls in love with a Muslim man and wants to marry him without denouncing her faith

Nonetheless, it has been proved multiple times through social media that the ministers and lawmakers have been trying to keep the persecution of minorities under the wraps.

In the first three months of 2018, many cases of persecution of have been reported, but the concerned authorities never responded with sincerity.

The persecution of minorities in Pakistan is not solely the doing of radicalized citizens of the state; ISIS, for example, has claimed responsibility of several attacks occurred in Quetta, targeting Christian community. However, it seems the state has chosen to act in denial.

According to a BBC report, Anju, a Hindu girl was kidnapped from Mirpur Khas and kept in captivity for four months where she was raped and compelled to accept Islam/

The girl said she would prefer to die than to denounce her faith.

Last year, the Sindh government  tried to bring the bill to end forced conversions and marriages,  but due to certain pressures from the extremist forces, the bill was withdrawn. Therefore, poor minorities left in the state wherein the absence of legal cover they remain vulnerable.

Marriage is a social agreement between two individuals who, with their free will, agree to live as a unit. There is nothing wrong if a Christian girl falls in love with a Muslim man and wants to marry him without denouncing her faith.

The writer can be reached at kaleemdean@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, April 28^th 2018.