Christian woman dies after acid attack in Pakistan: British and Commonwealth betrayal
Boutros Hussein, Noriko Watanabe, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Since the foundation of Pakistan it is abundantly clear that religious minorities, for example, Christians, Hindus, and the Shia have suffered enormously. On top of this, non-Muslim women fear being forcibly converted to Islam by Muslim males. However, it seems that the Commonwealth and successive British governments care little. Therefore, the latest Christian female to die in a brutal acid attack for refusing to marry a Muslim and converting to Islam in Pakistan will barely make a squeak.
The reason why it appears that successive British governments don’t care along with the Commonwealth is multiple. Yet, two obvious reasons vindicate this lack of care and the first fact is that the majority of nationals from Pakistan who moved to the United Kingdom are Sunni Muslims. However, it is religious minorities who are suffering institutional discrimination, the fear of their daughters being forcibly converted to Islam, terrorist attacks, and other deplorable factors that can be blamed on Sunni Islamism and the mindset of supremacy.
Indeed, it is extremely doubtful that Pakistan Christians who have fled to the United Kingdom even make up the percentage of their faith in Pakistan. Of course, the same applies to very few Christians from Syria being given refugee status. Instead, just like in Pakistan, the Sunni Islamist terrorist angle in Syria doesn’t seem to enter the agenda. Hence, the majority of Syrians accepted to move to the United Kingdom are Sunni Muslims – yes, the same faith that ISIS and various al-Qaeda groups come from.
Similarly, Pakistan doesn’t face being expelled from the Commonwealth despite its atrocious record against religious minorities. For example, since the creation of Pakistan, countless numbers of Hindus and Sikhs fled to escape pogroms and institutional discrimination. Of course, convulsions in all directions caused enormous suffering in all directions when India was carved up. However, over the many decades since it is clear that Hindus are on the margins of society in Pakistan.
Equally important, all religious minorities fear female members being forcibly converted to Islam. This is based on rape, forced marriage, enormous economic pressure and underhanded tactics, and non-Muslim families residing in fear if their daughter spurns a Muslim advance. At the same time, the courts, the police, and the state apparatus, usually turns a blind eye or tacitly supports the systematic persecution of non-Muslims. Despite this, Pakistan isn’t faced with being expelled or suspended from the Commonwealth – nor does this nation fear economic sanctions based on religious discrimination.
Christian woman dies from a brutal acid attack
Asma Yaqoob, a Christian female, is the latest minority faith individual to be attacked by acid for the crime of refusing marriage and converting to Islam. Sadly, this brave Christian lady died after suffering enormous pain for roughly two weeks after being left disfigured and in agony.
The Coordinator of the National Commission for Justice and Peace, Aila Gill, comments, “The government should take immediate notice of all these growing incidents of intolerance against minorities. Forced conversion of religious minorities should be criminalized and the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Act should be enforced to prevent these crimes against women.”
Asma died slowly from the burns of approximately 90 percent of her body. In the last few months, at least five acid attacks have happened against religious minorities. Of course, other deplorable events including attacks against Christians and brutal discrimination in the workplace are all too common. Therefore, the latest brutal attack – not committed by ISIS or Islamist terrorist groups – at the hands of an ordinary Muslim says much about how non-Muslims are viewed in certain sections of society in Pakistan.
It should be noted that in the land of Mecca and Medina not one single Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, or Sikh holy place is tolerated. Also, it is forbidden on pain of prison (or worse) for non-Muslim males to marry Saudi Muslim females. Hence, it is abundantly clear that Sharia Islamic law and certain Hadiths are upholding the systematic persecution of non-Muslims.
Overall, the latest non-Muslim female to die – just like countless numbers of non-Muslim females who have been forced to convert to Islam in Pakistan – will make little waves throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Therefore, still, mainly Sunni Muslim migrants will set up residence in the United Kingdom instead of genuine religious refugees facing endless persecution in Pakistan. Similarly, the Commonwealth will not suspend or expel Pakistan despite the deplorable reality of this nation for religious minorities who face institutional discrimination.
Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group
DONATIONS to SUPPORT MODERN TOKYO TIMES – please pay PayPal and DONATE to sawakoart@gmail.com
http://moderntokyotimes.com Modern Tokyo Times – International News and Japan News
http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi personal website and Modern Tokyo Times artist
https://moderntokyonews.com Modern Tokyo News – Tokyo News and International News
http://global-security-news.com Global Security News – Geopolitics and Terrorism
PLEASE JOIN ON TWITTER
https://twitter.com/MTT_News Modern Tokyo Times
PLEASE JOIN ON FACEBOOK