In yet another horrifying incident, a Hindu girl in Pakistan has been kidnapped, raped, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off to a Muslim man. This appalling event comes less than 10 days after a similar case involving a 12-year-old Christian girl, who was also abducted, forcibly converted, and married to a Muslim man. These back-to-back cases shed light on the deepening crisis faced by religious minorities in Pakistan, where such brutalities are becoming alarmingly routine.
What is unfolding in Pakistan is not merely a “minority issue”—it’s a reflection of a radical and extremist mindset that persists within the Islamic Republic. Radicals believe that minorities, particularly Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs, should be forcibly converted to Islam. The case of the Hindu girl is a chilling reminder of how vulnerable religious minorities are.
Pakistan continues to haunt its minorities, instead of safeguarding its citizens, it has allowed these radical elements to thrive, with impunity for perpetrators of such crimes. The silence and inaction of authorities speak volumes about the systematic failure to address the root causes of this dangerous trend.
Even more troubling is the involvement of international extremist networks in these activities. Recently, members of a Germany-based Pakistani radical Islamist group, led by Hassan Gondal, have been actively targeting Sikh girls for conversion. This disturbing export of extremism from Pakistan has far-reaching consequences.Forcible conversions, sexual violence, and abductions are symptoms of an extremist mindset that sees non-Muslims as second-class citizens, ripe for exploitation and conversion.