ASIA/PAKISTAN - Interreligious marriage canceled after threats to a young married couple

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - A Christian boy from Multan, Akram Masih, was arrested by the police in Multan for having forced a Muslim girl, Maria Bibi, of the District of Shiekhupura, to marry. The police broke into Akram’s family house, seizing the boy and beating other family members, including the women.
As reported to Fides by the Christian lawyer Mushtaq Gill, the family has asked for the help of Bishop Asher Kamran, head of the Methodist Church of Pakistan in Multan. The Bishop wrote a letter to contest the false complaint against Masih, for Maria’s alleged kidnapping and for forced marriage.
The Christian boy from Multan and the Muslim girl from Sheikhupura, who fell in love, got married in Multan with Islamic rites. In order to get married the young man took the Muslim name of Muhammad Akram, converting to Islam, but the conversion turned out to be useless: after the girl's family protests and the complaint registered, the police intervened.
According to Akram’s family, the boy is completely innocent and the couple got married freely. The two were summoned before a magistrate to confirm their free will. In a brief appearance, which was attended by family members and many Muslim leaders, the girl signed, against her will, a statement against Akram. If Maria had refused to sign, both of them would have been killed. The marriage was declared null and void. Fides Agency had recently reported a similar case in Karachi (see Fides 15/10/2014).
According to Islamic law, a Muslim woman cannot marry a man who belongs to another religion. "In Pakistan, the level of religious extremism is too high to tolerate marriage between a Christian man and a Muslim woman, even if the Christian converts to Islam", notes lawyer Gill, stating that "this is a serious violation of fundamental rights". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 22/10/2014)