An Anti-Forced Conversion Law Is Urgently Required in Pakistan to Protect the Minority Rights Given under Islam
Forced
Conversion Is Reportedly On The Rise In Pakistan, Yet It Is Forbidden In Islam
Main
Points
1. Approximately
1,000 girls between the ages of 12 and 25 are forcibly converted to Islam and
married to their abductors in Pakistan.
2. According to
Islam, if a non-Muslim is compelled to say the words of the Islamic faith but
does not really believe in the fundamentals of Islam, he will not become a
Muslim. Then why such dark ignorance!
3. According to
Hazrat Umar Farooq, non-Muslims live in an Islamic country under the protection
of Allah and the Prophet (peace be upon him).
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By
New Age Islam Staff Writer
28 February
2022
People in
Pakistan demonstrated two days ago in the Okara District of Punjab Province,
demanding an end to forced conversions of teenage females and passage of the
Anti-Forced Conversions Bill. The protestors are totally valid and correct in
their demand. Forced conversions have become a major concern in Pakistan.
Despite international and human rights organisations' efforts to eliminate
forced conversions and marriages, Pakistan's government has shown only
inconsistent interest in expanding religious, policy, and dialogue frameworks
to protect the safety of minority girls and women
Every year,
approximately 1,000 girls between the ages of 12 and 25 are forcibly converted
to Islam and married to their abductors in Pakistan, according to a report by
the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Pakistani Minorities, a scenario
described as a "human rights disaster." The report also highlighted
the rapidly growing practice of forced conversions and weddings, pointing to
the government's terrible handling of much-needed measures to address this
heinous crime.
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According
to media sources, Pakistan's minority councillors expressed worry in January
about the lack of security for religious minorities as the country saw a sharp
spike in occurrences of forced conversion, with cases jumping from 15 in 2020
to over 60 in 2021.
More than
70% of those who were forcibly converted were minor females. The fact that
there is no law in place to prevent this from happening is concerning. The
Prohibition of Forced Conversion Act of 2021 was prepared and presented to the
legislature, however, it was voted down because "it would pose further
problems for minorities."
Both the
forced conversions and the subsequent underage marriages are major human rights
crimes that must be addressed through appropriate legislation that prohibits
both. Furthermore, councils should be established to determine if a person is
acting autonomously or under coercion while converting to a different religion.
Pakistan is already a harsh environment for minorities, and issues like forced
conversions exacerbate the situation.
Such reports
are widely available on the internet, and their veracity is a major source of
concern. In Islam, the concept of forced conversion is unacceptable. Is this
happening in Pakistan as a result of ignorance? If it's ignorance, why aren't
Muslim clerics and Ulema publicly condemning this inhumane and anti-Islamic
practise? Is it possible for someone to become a Muslim or Muslimah after being
forcibly converted to Islam? This is a fundamental concept that being a Muslim
entails a heartfelt belief in one God and the recognition of Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) as a real Messenger of Allah.
A person
does not become a Muslim only by pronouncing the words of Tawhid (Kalima) and
praying the namaz (salaat) unless he or she has believes in Tawhid and
Prophethood by heart.
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Also
Read: What Is Iman And How Can A Person Be A Momin,
Believer Or Muslim? No Way to Forced Conversion
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While it is
apparent that the words of Tawhid and Islamic faith can be forced out of one's
mouth, they cannot be forced out of one's heart. If a Muslim is forced to say
words of unbelief while his heart is pleased with Islam, he does not become a
disbeliever, according to the principle given in the holy Quran (16:106).
Similarly, if a non-Muslim is compelled to say the words of the Islamic faith
but does not really believe in the fundamentals of Islam, he will not become a
Muslim.
Imran Khan,
the Pakistani Prime Minister, has frequently mentioned his desire to operate on
the model of the State of Medina [Riyasat-e-Medina]. This was just a
so-called Riyasat-e-Medina promise because the forced conversion was not
permissible in the State of Medina, nor was the notion of being labelled a
Muslim if forcibly converted. If he is truly interested in the
Riyasat-e-Medina, he must pass an anti-conversion bill in order to protect
minority rights, as well as keep in mind the following teachings of the Prophet
Muhammad Peace be upon him:
If the
non-Muslims living in a Muslim country are attacked by an enemy, the Muslim
government is obligated to fight on their behalf. Non-Muslims living under the
Islamic government shall not be forced to convert to any other religion. It is
the legal obligation of the Islamic government to protect the life, wealth,
caravan, trade and land of non-Muslim citizens. Everything they already have in
their possession will be kept in their possession. Their priests, Mahants,
Pandits and clergy shall not be removed from their positions.
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Also
Read: Forced Conversion is Unethical
and Against the Will of Allah
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(Books for
reference: See (1) Kitāb Futūḥ al-Buldān (“Book of the Conquest of the Countries/Lands”) authored by
the 9th-century Persian historian Ahmad Ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri of Abbasid-era
Baghdad or (2) Kitāb al-Kharāj (Book of
taxation), a classic text on Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), written by Imam Abū
Yusūf Yaʻqūb Ibrāhīm al-Anṣārī al-Kūfī)
The
preceding Islamic teachings were given by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him). Pakistan must act quickly to pass a bill prohibiting forced conversions
for the protection of minorities. The government should also learn from Hazrat
Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), the second caliph of Islam, who stated,
“The non-Muslims who live in our country are under the protection of Allah
(God) and the Prophet.” (Kitāb Futūḥ al-Buldān)
(File Photo)
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The
non-Muslims live in Islamic countries under the protection of Allah and the
Prophet (peace be upon him). This means that Allah and his beloved Prophet have
commanded to protect the rights given to the non-Muslims, such as the right to
life and the right to religious freedom etc. Therefore the state authorities
must take a genuine interest in safeguarding their rights under Islam.
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