KARACHI:
On Monday, Lata and Rinkle Kumari’s families wept and appealed to the government to let them meet their daughters, while 15-year-old Asha’s family demanded that the authorities should find and rescue their missing daughter.
While speaking in Sindhi at a press conference at Karachi Press Club, Rinkle’s mother begged and pleaded for an opportunity to meet her daughter. According to Asha’s mother Reshma, her daughter went missing 18 days ago from Jacobabad. While wiping her tears with her dupatta, she said that it was cruel that the authorities had not found her as yet. While talking to The Express Tribune, Asha’s brother Vinod Kumar said that he used to drop and pick his sister from the parlour where she was doing a course. “When I went to pick her up on March 3, the parlour owner told me that she had already left,” he said. “She was so tired of the course. She did not want to go there anymore but I kept pushing her to do so.”
The family registered the FIR and nominated the parlour owner. So far the case is still under investigation.
According to Lata Kumari’s father, the Hindu doctor who converted to Islam, his wife was in the hospital because of what had happened.
The patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council, Ramesh Kumar, spoke out against the recent incidents of abduction and forced conversion in the Hindu community. “Girls from our peace loving community get scared when they see a bullet,” he said. “Imagine how Rinkle felt when she went to court with 500 people carrying weapons! Can we ever say that her statement was recorded of free will?” He added that if Asha was not rescued soon, 20 days later they would find out that she had also converted.
According to Ramesh, the country’s economy was dependent on the minorities. “There are eight million Hindus in Pakistan, out of which seven million live in Sindh,” he said. “Their current state is forcing them to leave their homes. So far 200 to 250 families have moved from Jacobabad. We don’t want to leave the country.” The chairperson of the Pak-Hindu Welfare Association, Mangla Sharma said that this was not the first time the community had to step forward to raise their voice against injustice. Sharma added that they would appeal to the Federal Shariat Court against the forced conversions. “Our girls are being brainwashed,” said Sharma. “They need counselling.”
Rinkle’s uncle Raj said that protests were being held by religious extremists every day in Mirpur Mathelo. “They are threatening us that if Rinkle returns home, four Hindu women will go missing,” he said. “What will we do now? Where will we go now?”
According to Qadir Khan, a lawyer, under Article 36 of the Constitution minorities should be protected but were not given security.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s wing chief in Sindh, Michael Javed said that a judicial commission should be set up to look into these cases. The patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council clarified that they were satisfied with the court proceedings but wanted a judicial inquiry of the policeman who mishandled the cases in Ghotki. He said that it was no use to approach the minority parliamentarians as they were not representatives of the minorities. “We prefer to lodge our complaints with top government officials,” he said. “However, it is only the Supreme Court that takes notice of such cases.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2012.
COMMENTS (64)
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Every Person has Daughters & sisters !
@vasan: Have you cared to open your eyes to crying mothers of Kashmir? What a hypocritical bunch you are? In Pakistan there is outrage, liberals and even some non liberal stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers/sisters in their pain. In your newspapers you jump at joy at the suffering of Muslims and I read you guys rejoicing YOUR army shooting dead a 10 year old innocent child ( source Times of India/ IE comments sections). Is muslim blood cheap for you???? Two faced people, come back to reality. We appreciate you empathize with our brothers/sisters but you have to realize a lot of Pakistan is illiterate and poor and yes there are injustices. But Pakistan has soul and with discrimination you have people rise up, some even brave to take a bullet for what they think is right. DON'T JUDGE US!! Go solve your issues and if you really want to help, sponsor my hindu sisters so that they can become great lawyers of their community. Don't play two faced games!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@kaalchakra, since in Hinduism God is one , irrespective of what different religions call him, that's why there is absolute no sense in conversions. Those who believe in conversions are the ones who are denying one God and are saying the God of their religion is differnt from the God of the other religion. In Pakistan what has happened is state sponsored tyranny of religion imposed by various means, including discriminmatory laws, upon others. Thats reprehensible. You don't need to be very smart to understand that.
OK, Hindus, thanks for engaging in a discussion. So you believe there are multiple paths. All lead to the same things. I guess, which one you choose depends on your preference. Arjun may not like 'lack of freedom' but others may find the clarity appealing. So nothing inherently right or wrong, good or evil.
So if that is true, then there is nothing really wrong in a person or persons converting to Islam. If they do it on their own or are helped to do it, why should Hindus bother. To a Hindu, it may matter a little, but to Hindus as a group, it matters little since in a group, people's preferences vary.
Are we on the same page, up to here, my Hindu friends? Would appreciate if some intelligent Hindus who understand their religion at least a little can engage. Thanks.
@Atif: you mean to this is why for what has happened to these girls!!! now you will settle your national issues by persecuting minorities!!! we in India do not do so for the piece of Kashmir you usrped!!! isn't it ridiculous Atif Mian.....
@ Imran
If Allah has prevented forced conversion, what is happening in Pakistan? You guys are as good as your god.
@indian: "whatever you want to say, facts remain facts. 900 jews were beheaded in markets Medina in AD 627 by your prophet. How well do you think this will go down with Hindus who are pacifists by nature?"
Never read or heard of any such event. Any authentic reference? Did you make it up? Didn't you. Cleaver!
OK, just for the sake of discussion, was that done without any provocation? or did they do something deserving the treatment?
@Umar.... " You are confusing two separate cases. Rinkle is not a doctor it’s the other lady who is doctor. Goes to show how much informed (not) you have kept yourself" I think you should focus on your information rather than questioning mine. Doc Rinkle Kumari was also a case of a hindu girl, Please scroll up and read the article again. To update your knowledge, kindly see this link as well. After that I am sure you and your sarcastic tone would mum,,, http://www.pakistaniscandals.com/post/1713/Pakistan-Hindu-woman-Rinkle-Kumari-case,was-it-forced-Marriage-or-Love-marriage..html
These conversions are by no means forced, I know quite a few Hindus and Christens (Men not only young good looking girls) who have converted to Islam by their own free will and are living happily in Pakistan. You can see many converting even in India by Zakir Naik any many others, and just check the conversion rate in EU and US, is it all forced. So why this hue and cry over these two girls, if it is forced conversion they will revert back when ever they get the first chance, you cannot force some ones heart to change.
Truth seeker : You better live upto your name. Kaali is a mythological god and never appeared in person to anyone, But the bearded monsters are prevalent throughout Pakistan and they are scary. "What I can say is you need to study Islam to understand its true teachings, not the one promoted by the Mullah. That will definitely change your opinion about Islam" The same thing is true about Hinduism as well. Though there are no mullahs in India to preach Hinduism, enough rubbish is spread in pakistan about HInduism thru their schools, madressahs and concoted stories handed down from generation to generation
@ Truth Seeker
What I can say is you need to study Islam to understand its true teachings, not the one promoted by the Mullah.
whatever you want to say, facts remain facts. 900 jews were beheaded in markets Medina in AD 627 by your prophet. How well do you think this will go down with Hindus who are pacifists by nature?
My point is we should not try and belittle and convert forcibly from each others religion. What will you feel if any women from your family is even touched? Will any muslim in the world keep quite if this happens to their faith in the west?
Allah has forbidden forced conversion to Islam please read the first Qua their religion for them , your religion for you
@Malik:
You are confusing two separate cases. Rinkle is not a doctor it’s the other lady who is doctor. Goes to show how much informed (not) you have kept yourself.
@Arjun: *"If one converts to a religion like Islam, one is forced to believe only one way is the right way. One loses one’s freedom of belief and becomes an automaton, imho."
If I say anything about Hinduism like you said about Islam, ET will not let it through. Even my complaining about the fact does not get through. What I can say is you need to study Islam to understand its true teachings, not the one promoted by the Mullah. That will definitely change your opinion about Islam.
@Dr Priyanka:
"Just read Shivaji Maharaj’s the great maratha warrior’s wiki [ We marathi's call him Maharaj]. It says he broke the backbone of the Mughal empire in India’- that is the reason there are Hindus in India."
What kind of backbone did he break which allowed Muslims to rule India for almost 1000 years. Did he live the whole period to defend Hinduism? Read Wiki on "Muslim rule in Spain" where the Christian crusaders wiped the whole Muslim population within a decade. Had the force been used, Muslims would have been in majority at the minimum. By the way, where Sikhs came from? From Afghanistan? Or, they were converted from Hinduism? What about Jains and Buddhists?
"What are the reasons for not allowing these girls[Rinkle is a child] with their parents?"
The matter is under purview of the court where the parents can file a petition for the meeting. And they can always meet her in the court room.
"The girls were surrounded by men with big ugly beards..."
In my opinion, much better looking than Kaali, though I am not a big fan.
@Kanwal: " The very basic respect as a human being and as a converted muslim they can show to their parents is to meet and relax them "
Why is that conversion to Islam is met with flowers while conversion from Islam is met with violence ? The problem generally is - Islam says something and Muslims end up doing quite the opposite.
@kaalchakra: " ... I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, just asking for information related to this subject of conversion of Hindu girls to Islam. ... "
We are two different nations.
@kaalchakra: Hinduism believes that there are multiple paths to God. Just like one can reach the summit of a hill multiple ways.
So it's not exactly: all religion are true. But that there are multiple ways to name, to worship, and to reach the Truth.
If one converts to a religion like Islam, one is forced to believe only one way is the right way. One loses one's freedom of belief and becomes an automaton, imho.
So while I believe that Muslims who just pray to God and are righteous in behaviour are on the right path, converting to Islam is not an attractive idea for me because it's a very restrictive belief system.
Regarding this case, Pakistan will reap what it's sowing. That's all I have to say about it.
Implausible and flabby comments which are sentiments riddled. I am to write these comments to debunk the viral falsehoods which are spread to defame Pakistan and Islam. I a Pakistani muslim and basically from Lahore, Punjab. In punjab, among minorities, prominently, we have christians living and working in Lahore. Not even a single case has gone from my seight where any such unethical and unacceptable event has happened with any christian girl.Though exceptions are always every where. Islam is the only fastest spreading religion in this world and despite being stigmatised by the west, quite a number of people are embracing it daily basis. History is evident that peace and love were the two catalysts which made it grow and flourish. I have been following the news of doc Rinkle and came to know that she has married to a muslim and embraced islam. When called by the court of law to find the fact, she declared that she has adopted Islam as her religion and solominized marriage out of her free will. To my understanding, either this is a case of love which then transformed into love marriage and made Doc Rinkle a muslim, or she embraced islam before tying herself in matrimonial relationship from the person with whom she was in courtship. Being a doctor she must be brilliant and a bold girl who has taken this step by having full knowledge of the consequences. Following upon this, it is also obvious that no one can hold her hostage at gun point for a longer term. Although Pakistan is a lawless country where law is different for previleged people but it is not a Banana Republic where there is no law at all. If doc Rinkle had complained about any undue influence or coercion, court of law would have given her protection. So I impolre you all( readers and the scribe) please do not pay heed to such false rumours.
They are the destitutes created by the so called Azadi from British. They became 'unwanted cildren of God'. Thanks to the hindu leader they called a Mahatma, who betrayed and deceived them.
@Sher Ahsan Kamran:
When "convincing" only involves good looking unmarried young girls accompanied by an armed mob then yes it does appear very suspicious and cruel.
I agree with @kaalchakra. These hindus should stop sulking and moaning.They know their daughters have left darkness and entered the world of enlightenment.And they should stop threatening these innocent little girls, 'cause they are not helpless.Their gun weilding bearded brothers are always there to protect them, from court room to the bathroom. Better, they should go back home and raise more daughters.
Shame on me, shame on Pakistani religious zealots, and shame on the law enforcing authorities. I am ashamed because I come from that majority population that is playing the criminal role. Is this religion, if so which one and why should some believe in you, your piousness, and your otherwise ulterior motives?
I am not very well versed in Hinduism, but if some Hindu friends can kind explain to me a couple of things, I would be much obligated. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, just asking for information related to this subject of conversion of Hindu girls to Islam.
From what I am told, it seems Hinduism preaches that all religions are equally true. There is no difference. One could be a Hindu or a MusIim - it makes no difference to anything. Is that right? Can some Hindu please confirm. Thank you in advance.
If these girls are converting of their own accord, then why are they not able to satisfy their parents? The very basic respect as a human being and as a converted muslim they can show to their parents is to meet and relax them. Islamic history has numerous examples where respect of parents was just as much essential as could ever be in any other religion or society. Either this version of Islam is wrong, or their is something seriously true in what these parents are claiming.
The best to fight back or leave the country and live in country where minority is considered humans. This trend would continue. Don't think that other countries won't welcome you or don't think that can't feed your self or your family. Believe in your self.
@Sher Ahsan Kamran: ' If Islam was to be spread by sword or by force, there would have been not one single Hindu in Subcontinent after thousand year rule,'- Just read Shivaji Maharaj's the great maratha warrior's wiki [ We marathi's call him Maharaj]. It says he broke the backbone of the Mughal empire in India'- that is the reason there are Hindus in India. If Hindus are being persecuted we don't like it. Period.I will vote as I said earlier for that party which will bring up the issue of the forced conversions in the Indian parliament. What are the reasons for not allowing these girls[Rinkle is a child] with their parents? The girls were surrounded by men with big ugly beards and armed to the boot! Brainwashing and cruelty apart, I would call this a shameless act. The girls are being blackmailed and I'm sure they have been told if they donot comply with the wishes of their 'new masters' the families will be in trouble! Convert karney sirf auratein hi mili aapko?
Convincing someone to convert to Islam in this country is now called brain washing and cruel, the girls has themselves admitted in court that she had willing converted, what else do you want. On the other hand Muslims are being tortured even burned alive in India (remember Ahmadabad), I don't remember all these Indians saying a word about that, I wonder from where these Indians commentators grow out of (like mushrooms) in internal matters of Pakistan. Islam has always converted people by convincing them and this is no atrocity, if you have little knowledge of something please try to learn more before making wayward comments. If Islam was to be spread by sword or by force, there would have been not one single Hindu in Subcontinent after thousand year rule, instead it is said in Quran that there is no forced conversion in the matter of Islam, so there is no Shudhi or Sanghatan like they had in India.
@Sajjad Hussain: Lol! as the majorities are enjoying lavish perks handed out in platter by the government.
@Rajendra Kalkhande: "Whole history of Pakistan is nothing but lies mixed with fiction."
The only difference between Pakistan and India is you only fancy doing it (in your bollywood movies where always a Pakistani Muslim girl is shown to fall for an Indian Hindu boy - extremely ridiculous - and never the other way round), while we do it in actuality. The day you stop doing this and reverse the roles, the day this will stop happening in Pakistan.
It seems to me that the Hindus are threatening these girls for leaving hinduism and accepting Islam (out of their free will). why does the supreme court not take action against such threatening behaviour of the hindu families against their daughters?
very shameful .............i reqst to all my muslim frineds to look into this matter ..........and punish the people who are culprit .....
Pakistan is on path of self-destruction .
@xyz: lets see
Atif, well said. Undoubtedly, Quaid e Azam had clearly foreseen this Hindu injustice and that's why had asked some Hindus to stay back in Pakistan.
This is silly and seems deliberately designed to malign Islam. The girls are Muslim now, they don't want to meet with you, and they shouldn't. What's your problem? They have been welcomed with open arms by Islamic women. So there isn't any problem. These families should go home and start raising other daughters.
@ Atif. people like you have been fed at lies. Whole history of Pakistan is nothing but lies mixed with fiction. Bitter truth is that most of you are cowards who could not protect themselves at the hands of Arab and Afghan invaders and converted to Islam under fear and force. How can one expect people like you to protect others, particularly the minorities, when you could not protect yourself.
@ Pakistan Politics No one is hoping justice in Pakistan.Than how will these innocent girls and their parents are hoping. At least we are thankful to ET for raising their voices and you are blaming on ET. At the end you all will be embarrassed not ET.
for disapointment of many, the truth is quiet opposite as to what is being portrayed by so called minority right NGOs. this is fact that the girls have changed their religion with their oiwn will. the girls, on various occasions have expressed that they are fully satisfied with what they have done. now, one should think that what these minority welfare association and alike orgainizations are doing..? isnt it act of pressurizing the converted girls..? they are young, they know what is right or wrong for them. why should their "community" decide their fate..? what about "freedom of living" and "freedome of expression" in this regard..?. Also it is noteable that in Mirpur Mathilo, Hindu community has arranged a rally in support of these girls that they have wilfully converted to islam. and as expected, no liberal media has published this news.
@Atif: "It all gravitates back to the original sin…Kashmir" What does Kashmir has to do with something happening inside Pakistan? Do you mean to say that you want to punish Hindus in Pakistan because the Hindu majority India according to you is... tormenting our brothers in Kashmir. So hurting our fellow Pakistanis who happen to be Hindus is the solution?? Your (horribly) disturbed mentality is the reason why extremism is not going to away from Pakistan. No point telling you to be more tolerant and respect other religions. If you can't even admit your (our) problem and even blame India for it. Just ridiculous.
Will Pakistanis still not believe/admit this is happening?? This is happening my fellow Pakistanis and we all should be ashamed of yourselves for letting our Pakistani Hindu brothers/sisters down, for letting our religion down. But most of us will think that the poor's girl mother is lying, her family is lying and congratulate the abducted girl on converting to Islam even though she's obviously been forced but we will not admit this because we can never be wrong and there has to be some conspiracy against us.
Sad case, hope the authorities find the girls and if force was used then the perpetrators are punished. Well done to Pakistani media for highlighting this issue and keeping it running. Am sure I have read about same happening in neighbouring countries- just not reported on as much, am sure.
ET at the end u will be embarrassed
ET they are not proved as forced conversions, why not u publish the statements of those converted on their own will, why not believe them until the court delivers a verdict??
First of all dear its not the preaching of Islam to convert force fully any body from any religion to Islam. Secondly if any one is doing this wrong then it does not mean that this is the religion teaching. furthermore let the girl says herself what happened. More over minorities in Pakistan are more free than any other country. Otherwise one should not forget the sad incident of Babri Masjid in India and killing of Thousands of Muslims in Gujrat
Gah, uncivilized monsters.
It all gravitates back to the original sin...Kashmir. The whole nation of Hindustan should not have usurped a kind and docile people of the Kashmir valley and unleased this curse on the Sub-Continent where we (Pakistan) cannot be our neighbors friends because he (India) torments our brother ...This endless cycle of hate will most definatly consume both our nations ....
my request to the authority ,please find the missing girl on humanitarian ground and respect others religion
I am so ashamed being a Muslim and to see such cruel attitude with very peaceful community of Sindh...........shame on all those who are involved.............Afraid from a day when our Muslim may not change their religion and called themselves Non-Muslim.............
Muslims of Pakistan after centuries of conversion do not demonstrate the slightest culture of a high-class compassionate Islam. Such piratical methods of abductions, forced conversions of minor females, causing endless sufferings, can impossibly be carried out from purified humans(Muslims!)
The majority of Pakistan is paying the price by supporting islamization of a nation. They deserve this. Minorities must move out soon. Hindus will succeed anywhere in the world. This is not their country at all. Pakistan is the 12th failed state in the world.
@ZYX:
Widespread publication of the news of these abductions and forced conversion and marriages is the only recourse left to these oppressed minorities. You want ET to stop reporting these atrocities?
sigh
@ZYX: They are not allowed to speak in the same way as they are also living among muslims
This is real Islam since Mumad and this how it spread through atrocities
If the tears of the loving mother ( A mother is the God's representative to the son and daughter ) cannot move these monsters, the country will rot and burn. There are too many instances in Indian history/mythology for this.
The minorities in parliament are not good enough to speak for them, the girl in question is not good enough to speak for herself, an admission in court is not sufficient, apparently she was brainwashed now and doesnt know what she is saying....this is getting to be ridiculous! ET should know better than to continue running this story...give it a few days ET, you are about to become the story now
The government has failed to protect the minorities.
I guess Islam has not chnaged a bit since 700 AD.
The entire system is broken. Bye the time the matter reaches the supreme court, the facts on the ground have being changed by time, coercion and brute force. There is only despair.