The Catholic Church “is against all conversions done by force or deception. At the same time, it defends the right of everyone to profess and spread their faith,” said His Excellency Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). The prelate’s statement comes in the wake of the alleged abduction of two Hindu girls in the Pakistani province of Sindh, who were later forced to convert to Islam and marry two Muslim men. The issue has revived India-Pakistan tensions.
As reported by asianews.it, For His Grace Archbishop Mascarenhas “freedom of religion, is sacred”. The incident involving the two girls has widened the rift between the two neighbours, already defined by religious differences – Hindu India vs Muslim Pakistan – which was the basis of the violent partition of the British Raj in 1947. “Everyone has the right to profess his or her religion,” notes His Excellency Mascarenhas. “The choice must be free, never imposed by force or deception. The Catholic Church is very clear on this: religion does not admit force.”
The abduction case came to light on Friday after Raveena (13) and Reena (15), sisters, were abducted by a group of influential Muslim men in Ghotki, a district in Sindh province. Their abduction occurred last Wednesday, on the eve of the Hindu festival of Holi (the festival of colours). Right after they were seized, the young women were forcibly converted and married off in Rahim Yar Khan, in the Pakistani Punjab. The wedding ceremony (Nikah in Urdu), complete with a celebrating imam, was videotaped and posted on social media. Indian authorities reacted promptly, first of all, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who ordered the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad to start an investigation. On her Twitter profile, the minister condemned the illegal marriage of minors.
Source: www.asianews.it
