Posted on 05/10/2004 12:11:17 PM PDT by ambrose
10 May, 2004
PAKISTAN
Forced conversion to Islam fatal for Christian boy
New incident reveals frightening trend
Lahore (AsiaNews/Ucan) - Outrage at the death of a Catholic boy forced to convert to Islam at the hands of torturous abductors has prompted the Pakistan Catholic Bishop's Commission of Justice and Peace, to take up the legal case. The Christian youth died of injuries inflicted by a teacher and students at an Islamic school. The National Commission for Justice and Peace declared May 4th that the incident reflects a worrying trend of forced conversions.
Javed Anjum, an 18-year-old commerce student was seized by a teacher and students of Jamia Hassan bin Almurtaza Madrasa (an Islamic religious school) on April 17th when he stopped for a drink of water at a nearby tap in Toba Tek Singh, 310 kilometres south of Islamabad. For five days he was tortured until his condition became so serious that the abusers took him to a police station, stating that he had been attempting to steal an electric water pump, and filed a charge of robbery against him. The boy was kept in police custody until April 24th, when he was finally taken for medical treatment. By that time, according to the Bishop's Commission investigation, it was too late to save him. Anjum died May 2nd, in a nearby Faisalabad hospital, of "renal failure", having also suffered broken ribs and loss of eyesight.
According to the Bishop's Commission, police refused to investigate the cause of Anjum's injuries, or the allegation against him. Chairman of the Commission, Peter Jacob said on May 7th that officials at the Islamic school tried to create an impression that Anjum was a drug addict, and now local Muslim political leaders are supporting and protecting the school. "It only shows how desperate and aware the perpetrators are of their crime and what they had done, that they tried through various allegations to cover it up."
The Bishop's Commission claimed, "Religious intolerance and discrimination is the reason behind the recent incidents where young non-Muslims were forcibly converted and circumcised." In November another Pakistan Catholic boy, 15-year-old Zeeshan Gill, was abducted by a Muslim classmate and forced to convert. He was threatened and beaten by Islamic clerics and made to attend religious classes at Madrasa Jamia al Qasim al Aloom, an Islamic boarding school. He eventually escaped from his captors, but he and his mother and brother have since been in hiding for fear of death.
Beyond its concern for justice in Anjum's case, the Church's commission urged the government of the Punjab province to "take long-term steps to root out religious hatred and take timely action against the perpetrators of hate crimes in accordance with the law."
"We appeal to the federal government to ensure equality of rights and opportunities, which is the only way to build a society based on justice, peace, and human rights," the commission's statement said.
The official teaching of Islam condemns forced conversions of others.
This is true, but it doesn't mean what we think it does. To Islam, giving someone a choice between death and conversion is not considered forced conversion.
What do you mean, "if"?
Or at least, that's what we're supposed to believe, maybe. Why isn't this barbarian conduct "common knowledge" in the "West", if true? And because much of the world is theoretically "civilized", they're consumed with angst and accusations over the "humiliation abuse" of a few criminal prisoners at the hands of even fewer "rogue" US soldiers, but there's no concern for the acts of the "barbarians"? Are we just supposed to say "they don't know any better"?
President Bush is doing exactly the right thing in being relentless about the rule of law in the case of American soldiers and the Abu Ghraib prison. I don't care why these people did what they did, it was wrong, and it was unforgiveable in context of the "big picture", but there should be the same relentless pursuit and administration of justice "across the board".
Maybe we should call the U.N.? < / bitter sarcasm! >
Tabari IX:69 “Killing disbelievers is a small matter to us.”
Ishaq:489 “Do the bastards think that we are not their equal in fighting? We are men who think that there is no shame in killing.”
Tabari VII:97/Ishaq:368 “We carried Ka’b’s head and brought it to Muhammad during the night. We saluted him as he stood praying and told him that we had slain Allah’s enemy. When he came out to us we cast Ashraf’s head before his feet. The Prophet praised Allah that the poet had been assassinated and complimented us on the good work we had done in Allah’s Cause. Our attack upon Allah’s enemy cast terror among the Jews, and there was no Jew in Medina who did not fear for his life.’”
Tabari VII:97 “The morning after the murder of Ashraf, the Prophet declared, ‘Kill any Jew who falls under your power.’”
Ishaq:369 “Thereupon Mas’ud leapt upon Sunayna, one of the Jewish merchants with whom his family had social and commercial relations and killed him. The Muslim’s brother complained, saying, ‘Why did you kill him? You have much fat in you belly from his charity.’ Mas’ud answered, ‘By Allah, had Muhammad ordered me to murder you, my brother, I would have cut off your head.’ Wherein the brother said, ‘Any religion that can bring you to this is indeed wonderful!’ And he accepted Islam.”
Bukhari:V1B1N6 “Just issue orders to kill every Jew in the country.”
Ishaq: 676 “‘You obey a stranger who encourages you to murder for booty. You are greedy men. Is there no honor among you?’ Upon hearing those lines Muhammad said, ‘Will no one rid me of this woman?’ Umayr, a zealous Muslim, decided to execute the Prophet’s wishes. That very night he crept into the writer’s home while she lay sleeping surrounded by her young children. There was one at her breast. Umayr removed the suckling babe and then plunged his sword into the poet. The next morning in the mosque, Muhammad, who was aware of the assassination, said, ‘You have helped Allah and His Apostle.’ Umayr said. ‘She had five sons; should I feel guilty?’ ‘No,’ the Prophet answered. ‘Killing her was as meaningless as two goats butting heads.’”
However, Muslims do impose a tax (the Jizya) on infidels who live among them. It is based on the Koran 9:29.
"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His apostle nor acknowledge the religion of truth (even if they are) of the People of the Book until they pay the Jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued."
I haven't read or researched the Koran, but I have to likewise wonder if many Muslims have?! There cannot be a doubt that there are "peaceful Muslims", but the quotes above are quite inflammatory, along the lines of the harsh "eye for an eye" writings of the Christian Bible's Old Testament. There also can be no doubt that these particular kinds of "religious instructions" from the Koran have been interpreted and preached to incite "jihad" and all manner of abusive and even murderous conduct on the part of some of the "faithful".
That's just a comment, I guess...if I think of a way to resolve this dilemma, I'll be phoning the White House and the State Department posthaste!! ;)
'Religion' of peace: not!!
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