Rallies held across Pak’s Sindh against ‘forced’ conversion’

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Civil society organisations and members of minority communities on Friday held demonstrations in different cities and towns of Sindh in Pakistan to mark the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Day.

In Hyderabad, members of the Christian community held a demonstration outside the local press club against rejection of the ‘Forced Conversion Bill’ and other issues under the aegis of the Rapha Prayer Ministry International.

The protest was led by Senator Anwar Lal Deen, Advocate M. Parkash, Pastor Victor, Pastor Suleman Manzoor, Pastor Ghazala Shafi Romas Bhatti and others.

They told the participants that forced conversion was a crime and could not be accepted be it for the purpose of marriage. They observed that underage marriages after forced conversion was a serious problem. “The Christian community in Pakistan has performed outstandingly in terms of services in education, medical and defence sectors. In lieu of it, Christians should not, at least, be discriminated against,” they said.

The speakers noted that the federal ministry for religious affairs did not approve the forced conversion bill on two grounds — inappropriate time for the passage of the bill; and it would be more harm than beneficial. “Both the reasons are political and negate minorities’ fundamental rights,” they said.

“We are not a conquered community but natives of this homeland. We also want our rights on a parity basis,” they said. They dispelled the impression that the bill was in conflict with teachings of Islam. They recalled that a five-judge bench of Supreme Court had given a judgement in the Khursheed Bibi case declaring marriage a social contract. In the presence of this judgement, why minorities were being deprived of their rights?” they argued. They also pointed out that in 1927, Muslims had presented a similar bill during the British rule demanding that Muslim girls’ forced conversion be stopped. “Now minorities in Pakistan face the same threat and, as such, they should be supported,” they said.

In Jacobabad, activists of various human rights organisations and members of minority communities took out a rally raising slogans against forced conversion. They started their march from Shaheed Allah Bux Park and after passing through various roads converged on the local press club.

Speaking to the participants and local reporters, Jawahir Singh, Burner B. Newton alias Tony, Shalo Ram, Lachman Das and others claimed that cases of forced conversion of Hindu girls in Jacobabad district and its surrounding areas had been on the rise for quite some time. They expressed their concerned over reports that underage girls and young women of the Hindu community were lured into a love affair and then forced to convert. They termed it an unethical and unlawful trend that caused indignation in the Hindu as well as other minority communities in the country.

“Our religious beliefs must be respected for the sake of brotherhood and harmony between Muslims and all minorities including Hindu, Christian and Sikh communities,” they said.

They urged the federal and all provincial governments to enact and effectively implement a law against forced conversion.

Rallies and demonstrations for a better situation vis-a-vis human rights, religious freedom and tolerance, freedom of expression, dispensation of quick justice in human rights cases etc were held in many other cities and towns of Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Shikarpur, Kandhkot-Kashmore and Thatta districts. (Dawn)