86 year old Christian woman forcibly converted to Islam
LAHORE, PAKISTAN — The 86 year old wife of a Christian man, who was accused of setting the Quran, the Muslim holy book on fire on May 9, has been forcibly converted to Islam.
This was stated by the National Director of Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) in an ANS interview on May 15.Walter Fazal Khan, 84, a retired section officer got into trouble when his driver, Raja Riaz, accused his master of torching the Quran
Walter remarried Gladdis after demise of his first wife. Three of their four children are abroad while one of their son Najam is living in Pakistan.
"With mutual consent the couple allowed Gladdis’ nephew Raja Riaz who has converted from Christianity to Islam to live in their house and serve as a driver. The records reveal his Christian name as David", Francis told ANS.
Some time back Gladdis gifted all her property to her son, Najam. This angered Raja Riaz who allegedly plotted to trap Walter Fazal Khan in a bid to get Gladdis property.
Raja filed a case against Najam and the court had fixed May 10 as the date for hearing. Francis quoted Raja Riaz as saying in his petition he moved in a civil court that Gladdis is a widow and Najam had confiscated her property illegally. He alleged that Raja had wanted to kill his master on May 9 so that he could prove Gladdis as a widow in the court on May 10.
In line with his alleged plot, Francis revealed that Riaz’ daughter set Quran to fire on May 9 while his son clamored to attract the attention of the people of the area. "At that time Walter was taking bath. The Police arrested him as he came out of the washroom with a towel wrapped around his waist", Francis told ANS.
Francis regretted that Walter’s house has been occupied by a Muslim cleric, who he said wants to build a Madressah (religious school) there.
He alleged Raja in collusion with Muslim clerics had forcibly converted Gladdis to Islam. She is kept in her house which has been occupied by a cleric now, he said. We are trying to recover Gladdis through High Court, said Joseph Francis.
When ANS asked him what CLAAS was going to do to help some 500-600 Christians of Charsadda district confronting the threat to convert to Islam, Francis said they were soon leaving for a fact-finding mission in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. "This indicates Talibanization of Pakistan has set in motion".
Condemning the six party religious alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) sponsored Apostasy Bill he feared if the bill became law it would pose a serious threat to the forcibly converted Christians " who we recover through High Court".
"We are deadly against the bill. Every Pakistani citizen should be free to adopt any religion he wants." "There are non-believers in Christian states shall they kill them," he argued. He said even the atheists are not immune from God’s blessings. Joseph termed the bill as inhuman.
To a question he said they had long been campaigning for the repeal of Pakistan Blasphemy Laws.
"The blasphemy law continues to be abused because of its vague formulation, which allows arbitrary enforcement. In addition, it only takes the testimony of four Muslims to bring about a conviction. It is not worthy that in several cases complaints have been made on the insistence of local clerics or members of the Islamic parties. The motives are varied and some seem to be purely because the accused is a member of minority faith. In other cases, this fact is exacerbating by economic or professional rivalry", said an excerpt from the paper Joseph Francis read on March 28, 2007 while addressing UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. He handed a copy of the paper to ANS during the interview.
Francis said he had apprised the members of the European Parliament of the situation confronting Pakistani Christian in his address on April 19, 2007.
He said he highlighted the constitutional discrimination with religious minorities in Pakistan besides updating his audience on Blasphemy Laws, Hudood Laws, Law of Evidence, Fundamentalist groups, minority prisoners and forced conversion.
On April 18 in Amsterdam he said he met with members of Dutch Parliament as well as members of ruling United Christian Democratic party and its ally Christian Union party. He said he also held talks with members of Labour Party.
"We appealed to them to give refugee status to the ones who have been acquitted in forced conversion and blasphemy cases", he said.
"Today Christian girls, especially minors are the prime targets of Muslims, who in order to get admission in paradise abduct these girls, rape them and escape from the law …forcibly convert them to Islam", Francis said while addressing the European Parliament on March 19.
In the wake of 9/11, the 7/7 London bombings and Danish cartoon issue of the Prophet Muhamamd he said fanaticism and religious militancy had registered a rise.
Extremist groups he alleged were reorganizing in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.
He said he was going to Germany to attend HMK General House meeting on June 18. "I will highlight the issues pertaining religious minorities there. I want to see the Christian community united on a single platform. They must set aside their personal differences and forge unity in their ranks".
He regretted the Church in Pakistan was being divided due to so called Churches and Bishops.
Asked why the Christian representatives in parliament were not highlighting the issues concerning religious minorities he said : "Why should they speak since they are not representing Christians. They are rather representing their own parties."
Reacting to Lal Masjid Islamabad’s cleric’s move of torching CDs to enforce Islam he said CLAAS out rightly condemned it. He called for probe to determine the source of Lal Masjid administration’s funding. "They want to create a state within state in Pakistan," he alleged.
He said the Lal Masjid had been built illegally. If a Church had been standing there it would have been flattened, he said.
During the term of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he said several Churches were demolished which he said were thought to be illegally constructed. During demolition of China basti (slum) near Model Town a Church was also razed", he recalled.
In Sheikhupara Pastor Noor Alam was killed and his church was demolished in 1998, he informed, adding that several churches were demolished in Kasur too.
He said after 9/11 and 7/7 London bombings the trend of Muslims confiscating Christians’ properties hiked. He said Christians were allotted land in Dehrakabad, Munda Chowk district Multan in 70s in Pakistan Peoples’ party tenure.
The Christians tilled the land. Now influential Muslims including Rai Mansaf Ali, Member National Assembly and Superintendent of Police Multan are snatching the land from the Christians and rendering them landless, he alleged. We have to pay for Rs 27 lacs to pay as lawyers’ fee for 270 such cases, he said.
He said Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf’s statement that Pakistan ex-cricket coach Bob Woolmer would have gone to heaven if he were a Muslim came in sharp contrast to his oft-repeated concept of enlightened moderation.
Pakistan President had made this statement while talking in a Geo TV’s program "Aaj Kamran Khan Key Sath" (Today with Kamran Khan).