Pedophilia is legal in Pakistan because of sharia law

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the High Court of Sindh has used an interpretation of Sharia law to validate the marriage of Arzoo Raja, a 13-year-old Christian girl, to Ali Azhar, a 44-year-old Muslim man. Arzoo’s parents claim that Azhar forcefully married their teenage daughter after she was abducted from her family home and forcefully converted to Islam earlier this month.

Arzoo’s parents claim that their daughter was abducted from their home located in the Railway Colony of Karachi, Pakistan on October 13. Raja, Arzoo’s father, reported the incident to local police and filed a First Information Report (FIR). Two days later, on October 15, Arzoo’s family was summoned to the police station and informed that Arzoo had married Azhar and willingly converted to Islam. Police claim that Azhar produced a marriage certificate stating that Arzoo was 18 years old.

In an attempt to bring their daughter home, Arzoo’s parents challenged the validity of the marriage in court, claiming that it violates the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act. According to this act, marriages of minors under the age of 18 are illegal. To prove their claim, the couple produced a copy of Arzoo’s birth certificate, documenting her as 13 years old.

However, on Tuesday, October 27, the High Court of Sindh ruled in favor of the marriage, applying an interpretation of Sharia law that allows for underage marriages. The court order confirming the marriage read:

“The petitioner initially belonged to the Christian religion. However, after the passage of time, the petitioner understood and realized that Islam is a universal religion and she asked her parents and other family members to embrace Islam, but they flatly refused. 

Subsequently, she accepted the religion of Islam before the religious person of Madressah Jamia Islamia. After embracing Islam, her new name is Arzoo Fatima; per learned counsel petitioner contracted her marriage to Azhar of her own free will and accord without duress and fear. 

After registration of FIR police started harassing the petitioner. They are unable to pass a happy life. The SHO is directed to provide protection to the newly wedded wife.”

“The pattern in the high court is a replica of what we have seen in the past,” Sabir Michael, a human rights activist, told the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN). “The parents of Arzoo even touched the feet of the police to meet their daughter. We have never witnessed such helplessness. My heart was broken today.”

This is the second time in which the High Court of Sindh has used Sharia law to justify an underage marriage in a forced conversion case. On February 3, the same court concluded that Huma Younas, a 14-year-old Christian girl, was legally married to Abdul Jabbar, an adult Muslim man. Similar to Arzoo’s case, Huma’s parents claim that their daughter was abducted from the family home and forcefully converted to Islam before being forcibly married to Jabbar.

According to a 2014 study by The Movement for Solidarity and Peace Pakistan, an estimated 1,000 women and girls from Pakistan’s Hindu and Christian community are abducted, forcefully married to their captors, and forcibly converted to Islam every year. The issue of religion is also often injected into cases of sexual assault to place religious minority victims at a disadvantage. Playing upon religious biases, perpetrators know that they can cover up and justify their crimes by introducing the element of religion.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply saddened by the court’s decision to validate the marriage of a 13-year-old girl to an adult man. This decision has placed Arzoo’s safety at risk and will likely mean any testimony she is able to give in court will be tainted by the threats she will endure in the custody of her alleged abductor. Pakistan must do more to combat the issue of abductions, forced marriages, and forced conversions. For too long, perpetrators have used religion to justify their crimes against Pakistan’s religious minorities.”

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org. 

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world. 

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org 
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Muslims beat up 10 year old child in Egypt

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on October 5, 2020, a group of extremists attacked the homes of Coptic Christians in the Egyptian village of Dabous (Minya Governorate).

The mob attack was planned on Saturday evening, following an incident at a neighboring village's wedding. Two young Muslim adults bullied and beat a 10-year-old Coptic Christian child. Some Christian adults subsequently confronted the two attackers. Mina, a 25-year-old resident of the village, explained to ICC, “The cause of the story was that two Muslim men who don’t belong to our village beat a young Coptic kid. The Coptic men didn’t accept that.” The confrontation became violent and resulted in the Muslim individuals receiving injuries.

On Monday morning, one of the Muslim individuals involved in this incident retaliated by beating a Coptic man and his son with a hose in Dabous, causing them to fall off their motorbike. Mina continued, “At the end of Monday, all of the Muslims gathered to beat the Copts. They damaged the windows and doors, and injured around five or six persons.”

Describing the incident, one Coptic man said, “The attack started with a Muslim woman screaming. The extremists attacked the Copts’ houses, [even though] there were security bodies whose job it is to protect the church. They did not call the police, but the Copts did. Then the police came, and the extremists escaped to the farms and grass.”

Pointing to some of the damage, Mina said, “This was a car damaged which belongs to a Coptic man. The Muslims suggested to make a reconciliation meeting and they will fix all the damages. Now my father has gone to the police station to follow the situation, but I will stay home. They are treacherous and traitors.”

The Deputy of the Salmalout Eparchy, the Priest Nashed Daoud, told Watani, “This was an unjustified attack. We are in contact with the investigation officers and prosecution. We want officers of wisdom to work in this case, so they don’t let any party raise violence here.”

Multiple injuries were reported from the incident. Reconciliation meetings are often used following mob attacks to prevent Coptic Christians from seeking justice through a formal legal system and frequently result in victim-blaming rather than accountability. The situation in Dabous remains tense, and the outcome uncertain. The village is located within an Egyptian governorate heavily populated by Christians, and community-based violence toward them by Islamic extremists is common.

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “We cannot forget that this incident started because Christian adults defended a young child from the violence of Muslim men. The subsequent mob attack against Christian homes sends the clear message that Christians should remain silent when witnessing abuse. Neither the targeting of a child, nor of a community, because of their shared identity should be accepted by the authorities. We urge local officials to hold those who planned and participated in the mob accountable, as well as those who facilitated the abuse of the child before Monday's incident.”

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org. 

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world. 

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org 
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Ray of hope in Pakistan

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the Lahore High Court has acquitted Sawan Masih, a Christian man sentenced to death under Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws. Masih was convicted in March 2014, just over a year after he allegedly committed blasphemy.

“A Lahore High Court division bench headed by Justice Syed Shehbaz Ali Rizvi acquitted Sawan Masih,” a court official told PTI on Tuesday. The court official went on to say that the Lahore High Court also ordered Masih to be released from custody.

On March 8, 2013, Sawan Masih was accused by his Muslim friend, Muhammad Shahid, of insulting the Prophet Muhammad during a conversation on March 7. According to Shahid, Masih said, “My Jesus is genuine. He is the Son of Allah. He will return while your Prophet is false. My Jesus is true and will give salvation." The incident allegedly took place in the primarily Christian neighborhood of Joseph Colony, located in Lahore.

The next day, March 9, local mosques recounted the accusation against Masih over their PA systems, inciting mob violence. A mob of more than 3,000 enraged Muslims attacked Joseph Colony, looting and burning approximately 180 Christian homes, 75 shops, and at least two churches. Amid the violence, Masih was handed over to the police and was later charged under Section 295-C of Pakistan's Penal Code.

On March 27, 2014, Masih was sentenced to death under Section 295-C by Judge Chaudhry Ghulam Murtaza in a trial held in the Lahore Camp Jail due to security concerns.

On appeal, Masih’s lawyer raised several objections to the police investigation and the prosecution. The lawyer told the court that the police registered the case 35 hours after the alleged incident and claimed that this showed mala fide intent in the case. Masih’s lawyer also pointed to contradictions in the First Information Report (FIR) and the testimony narrated by the complainant before the trial court. 

After hearing arguments from both sides, the Lahore High Court decided that the prosecution had failed to establish that Masih had committed blasphemy. The court went on to acquit Masih, reversing his death sentence, and ordered his release.

In Pakistan, false accusations of blasphemy are widespread and often motivated by personal vendettas or religious hatred. Accusations are highly inflammatory and have the potential to spark mob lynchings, vigilante murders, and mass protests.

Currently, 25 Christian are imprisoned on blasphemy charges in Pakistan. These 25 Christians are defendants in 22 blasphemy cases represented at various levels of the judicial process in Pakistan.

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are happy to see Sawan Masih finally acquitted and released after six long years in prison. It is rare to see such a high profile blasphemy case against a Christian justly resolved at the High Court level in Pakistan. However, we remain deeply concerned for the safety of Sawan and his family. Extremists in Pakistan are known to target individuals accused of religious crimes, like blasphemy, even if they have been acquitted. The abuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws must be curbed and false allegations must be rooted out and punished. Too often these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking to stir up religiously motivated violence against minority communities. Without real reform, religious minorities, including Christians, will face more false blasphemy accusations and the extreme violence that often accompanies these accusations.”

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org. 

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world. 

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org 
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Jailed for selling books in China

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a Chinese Christian online bookstore owner, Chen Yu, was charged with “illegal business operations” on September 27. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined 200,000 RMB ($29,450 USD).

According to a document from the People's Court of Linhai City, shared by Father Francis Liu from the Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness, in addition to the seven-year sentence and imposed fine, Chen will also have his iPhone confiscated. Additionally, the 12,864 Christian books from his bookstore will be destroyed by the Linhai City Public Security Bureau.

On September 1, 2019, Chen, who operated his online bookstore in Zhejiang province’s Taizhou city, was detained for selling unapproved religious publications imported from Taiwan, the US, and other countries. Consequently, the police launched a nationwide investigation to track down the bookstore’s customers through sale records and confiscated their purchased books.

On November 6, 2019, ICC also published the accounts of many Wheat Bookstore customers who were harassed by local authorities. According to China Aid, the Chinese government was utilizing this investigation opportunity to search for “illegal [religious] activities locally.”

A house church pastor from Shenzhen city in the southern province of Guangdong also told Bitter Winter, “People who buy Christian books are practicing believers, so the government looks into them to determine how dangerous they are to the stability of their regime.” He, too, was summoned for purchasing from Wheat Bookstore. “The Communist Party has done too many shameful deeds and continues to suppress people. Our government has a guilty conscience,” the pastor added.

Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said, “The sentence for Mr. Chen Yu shows how the Chinese government is increasingly frightened by all things religious. From religious symbols, Chinese couplets, to Christian books, anything that features religious elements is no longer tolerated by the Chinese Communist Party. The disproportionate sentencing of Christians, such as Early Rain Covenant Church pastor Wang Yi and Chen Yu, under the same charge implies that the crackdown against Christianity will only intensify. The US government and international community should continue to stand up to the tyranny in Beijing.”

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org. 

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world. 

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org 
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org