Tiny Hindu Minority Seeks Court Justice

Yezman is a small town where 30 Hindu families are living frightened and miserable.

Courtesy: http://natural-beauty-pavocavalry.blogspot.com

(ISLAMABAD) - Another case of a Hindu girl abducted, raped and forced to convert to Islam surfaced when her parents approached a court seeking safety and justice after receiving threats.

According to World Vision in Progress (WVIP), a Hindu girl named Hamadi Mai, a minor living in Tehsil Yazman, a subdivision of the Bahawalpur District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan, was violently raped and forced to convert to Islam. Hamadi, only 15 years old, worked in a cotton field, the location of her abduction by Mohammad Imran, the son of the landlord. Narayan, her father, and his family members were threatened when they went to the landlord for help. Even the local police refused to register a First Investigation Report (FIR) against the perpetrator. It happened similarly in the Rinkle Kumari case last year.

guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/25/pakistani-hindu-court-forced-conversion

WVIP is looking to relocate the family and then proceed with the case.

Another Hindu woman, Gauri Maai, 30 years old and from the same area (Bahawalpur District) worked in a cotton factory. The factory owner, Mohammad Zahid, raped the married woman and when her husband complained, threatened both of them. When they sought legal assistance, Mohammad Zahid, with three other Muslim accomplices, kidnapped her.

Two days later, the clerk threatened her husband Ram Chandra, telling him that if he went to the police for assistance, he would announce a “Fatwa” and other Muslims would kill them.

WVIP is expecting to relocate this family as well and then petition for legal intervention. Please keep these courageous women in your thoughts and prayers.

Yezman is a small town where 30 Hindu families are living frightened and miserable, the threat of experiencing similar violence hanging over them.

Edited by Fay V. Greco, Salem-News.com

About Shamim Masih

"I am Christian rights activist and freelancer Pakistani journalist specializing in writing about Christians rights for the different papers in the world. My aim is to create a peaceful environment in the society and to help eliminate Christian persecution through my writing as I bring the plight of these brave people under the spotlight of the whole world."

Shamim Masih was born in Sheikhopura's village and raised in Gujranwala, a city in Pakistan's Punjab province. He earned his Bachelors Degree from the University of the Punjab, Lahore majoring in English, Economics and Statistics; he also received a Masters Degree in Business Administration.

As a freelance writer and author, Shamim has written for different papers in the world; his expertise is in writing articles highlighting different social issues. He has served as freelance chief reporter and column writer in “Minority Times” in Islamabad, and a number of Shamim's articles have been published in local papers as well.

You can write to Shamim at this address: shamimpakistan@gmail.com