Three teenage girls from the Hindu community in
the Southern Sindh province of Pakistan have been reportedly kidnapped and
forced to convert to Islam, Member of Pakistan's National Assembly Ramesh Kumar
has said.
Mail Today quoted Ramesh Kumar as saying
that the girls, who were reported missing on 9 April, were kidnapped by
influential Muslims - allegedly supported by Pakistani politician, Faqir Sher
Mohammed.
According to Mail Today, data from
Pakistan's Hindu Council shows that four Hindu girls were forced to convert to
Islam every month. However, the daily also quotes data from the
Movement for Solidarity and Peace, which claims that at least 1,000 non-Muslim
girls are converted to Islam each year in Pakistan.The report says that these
and other alleged atrocities on the two-million-strong community have forced
them to migrate to India in large numbers.
The report further added that apart from
abduction of young girls, the Hindu community in Pakistan often complains of
traders and businessmen being kidnapped for a ransom and of incidents of
religious books of the community being burned.
The daily quoted Kumar as saying, "Our
community can bear looting and the kidnapping of out men, but the abduction of
our daughters and burning of holy books are too painful." He added,
"Unfortunately, the frequency of these crimes is increasing due to
religious extremism."
Kumar also cited a recent incident where
religious texts were reportedly stolen from a Hindu temple and slammed
the provincial governments for not providing adequate security to the
community.
However, the daily also quoted Mian Abdul Malik
of the Bharchundi Sharif Shrine - which is reportedly known for conversions -
as denying the allegations. Malik said that the girls come to the shrine to
voluntarily convert to Islam so as to marry Muslim men.
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