A Catholic couple in Pakistan received the best Christmas gift they could imagine this week – the return of their kidnapped daughter after she escaped from a Muslim who forcibly converted/married her, sources said.
Muskan Salman, a bright and spirited 15-year-old, was abducted from her home in remote Tando Ghulam Ali town in Badin District, Sindh Province, on March 11. Her devout Catholic family was devastated to learn that Arsalan Ali had forcibly converted her to Islam and married her against her will, relatives said.
The Masih family had filed a First Information Report accusing Ali of kidnapping, but Muskan was coerced into declaring that she was 19 years old and that she had converted to Islam and married Ali of her own free will. In Sindh Province, the legal age for marriage for both genders is 18.
Ali, estimated to be between 25 and 27 years old, forcibly converted Muskan to Islam and forged a marriage certificate as legal cover for the crime, said her father, Salman Masih.
Muskan escaped from Ali on Sunday (Dec. 15) and showed up at her home, but Ali was doing all he could to bring her back, Masih said. Masih sought the help of Karachi-based Christian attorney Luke Victor to protect her from Ali.
“Ali and his accomplices started searching for Muskan soon after she went missing – they also contacted the police, but fortunately for us, I knew a senior police officer in Badin, and he promised to facilitate the family in getting a safe passage out of the area,” Victor told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
Victor told them to take a taxi to his office in Karachi. While the family was en route, however, Ali traced the taxi driver’s phone number and called him, threatening him as he demanded that the family return her to him. The driver refused, instead letting the family out and returning to Tando Ghulam Ali, the attorney said.
Victor and his legal team were waiting for the family in Karachi, growing increasingly anxious as they did not hear from Masih, whose phone battery had run out of power.
“The wait was agonizing,” Victor said, describing how relieved he was when the family finally reached Karachi late Sunday night (Dec. 15).
“We moved them to a safe house where Muskan shared her story with us," Victor said. “She spoke of the fear and pain she endured, but also of her unwavering faith and hope for freedom. Her courage and resilience are a testament to her strength and the support of her loving family.”
Victor said that on Monday (Dec. 16), Muskan gave a signed statement that she had been forced to falsely testify in favor of Ali.
“She has also categorically denied that she converted to Islam and married Ali willingly,” he said. “I’ve sent her statement to the Badin police, and we have also prepared a petition to be submitted in the Sindh High Court seeking police protection from the accused.”
Victor said that on Dec. 3, a Badin District additional sessions judge had directed police to investigate the case anew to determine Muskan’s age and ascertain if it warranted legal action under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2014.
“The police were looking to get our case discharged on the grounds that Muskan was an adult and had converted and married Ali willingly,” Victor said. “Though the court admitted the police’s stance, it also took note of our plea for determining her age based on her birth documents/school records as well as medical examination.”
Barrister Fahad Hussain, a colleague of Victor, on Dec. 12 wrote a letter to the senior superintendent of police in Badin District calling for compliance with the court’s order regarding Muskan’s age.
“Muskan’s return is nothing short of a miracle,” Victor told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
The recovery of Muskan gives hope to other families who have lost female relatives to kidnapping and forced conversion/marriage, said the Rev. Maqsood Kamil, former vice principal of the Gujranwala Theological Seminary.
“The Masih family’s reunification reminds us of the true spirit of the Advent season – hope, love, and the power of faith,” Kamil told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “Muskan’s return is a beacon of hope for many, a reminder that even in the darkest times, miracles can happen.”
Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year.
