Another day, another story of Muslims persecuting Christians in Pakistan. A whole lot of people sure missed the memo about Islam's tolerance, didn't they? That is the only conclusion available to those who still believe Islam applies a standard of tolerance comparable to the expectations of the Western tradition.
As for this case, we might hear it is un-Islamic because "there is no compulsion in religion" (Qur'an 2:256). But Islamic law is rife in letter and spirit with subtle and not-so-subtle means of coercion. After a certain point, the lines between persuasion and compulsion become blurred, and those doing the compelling could care less, because it is difficult, if not dangerous, to challenge those wielding power on where the distinction lies.
"Punjab: Christian student nurse forced to convert to marry Muslim man," by Jibran Khan for Asia News, May 12:
Lahore (AsiaNews) – A 24-year Christian woman from southern Punjab was abducted by a Muslim man who, after forcing her to convert to Islam, also forced her to marry him. Although her family filed a formal report of kidnapping, the police did not act immediately, either to stop the abduction or to arrest the culprits. Likewise, her family has gone to court to get her released to no avail; the young student nurse remains in fact in the hands of her kidnappers. This, according to a local priest, is part of an “alarming” trend in anti-Christian violence. He is, to put it mildly, “disappointed by the behaviour of local authorities”. A human rights activist confirms that the region of Pakistan where the woman lives is a “safe haven for extremists” who perpetrate abuses and kidnappings “with total impunity”.Read the rest of this article on: Jihad Watch
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