Samsoon Javed, forced to convert and held by Muslim employers in Sheikhupura District, Punjab Province, Pakistan, her mother says. (Christian Daily International-Morning Star News courtesy of family)

LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – Muslim employers of a 17-year-old Christian who works at their gas company in Pakistan have forcibly converted him to Islam and are holding him in illegal custody, his mother said.

Samina Javed, a brick kiln worker in Bhadru Minara village in Sheikhupura District, Punjab Province, said her son, Samsoon Javed, began working at a Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) outlet owned by Usman Manzoor in November.

In July, Manzoor’s brother, Umar Manzoor, hired Samsoon to work at his LPG outlet, and soon his parents began noticing a change in his behavior, Javed said.

“He began avoiding us and his siblings and didn’t speak much when he was at home,” Javed told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “We were worried about him, but despite our repeated prodding he wouldn’t tell us anything.”

Samsoon’s father, Falamoon Masih, died in 2018 due to illness, and he is one of four children Javed had from that marriage. She is now married to Javed Masih, with whom she had another son.

“We came to know about Samsoon’s conversion in September, when he didn’t come home from work,” she said. “When my husband and I went to Umar’s shop to inquire about Samsoon, he told us that our son had become a Muslim and didn’t want to live with us anymore. We were shocked to hear this and pleaded with Umar to let us meet with Samsoon, but he refused and told us to leave his property.”

Javed, member of a local Brethren church, said that they were able to see Samsoon after a few days when Umar was not present at the shop.

“Samsoon kept silent and avoided eye contact when we asked him about his conversion,” Javed said. “It was quite clear that he was scared and under pressure. He told us to leave, saying Umar would be angry if he saw us there.”

They later learned from contacts that the Manzoor brothers had been taking their son to an Islamic spiritual guide (Pir), where he was pressured to change his Christian faith, she said.

“I’m certain that Samsoon is being held by the two brothers against his will,” Javed said. “I have seen fear in his eyes… it’s as if he’s being blackmailed or threatened by them. I know that he’ll expose the truth once he’s out of their custody.”

The impoverished kiln worker said that her family was facing a huge challenge in recovering their child.

“We are in a very difficult situation – no local Muslim is likely to help us because of Samsoon’s alleged conversion,” she said. “Even if someone does support us, there’s a chance that my son will be disappeared or harmed.”

Appealing to church leaders and rights organizations for support, Samina said they needed help to approach the appropriate legal forums.

“We understand that this issue can spark tension, which is why we are looking to our Christian leaders for support,” she said.

Forced Conversions

Attempts to forcibly convert Christian boys or men to Islam are rare in Pakistan. Christian and Hindu girls and young women are frequently abducted and forced to “convert” to Islam before being coerced into marrying a Muslim.

These “conversions” are often committed under a threat of violence to the victims and their families, but authorities rarely intervene.

Rights activist Napolean Qayyum said lack of accountability for perpetrators has led to a surge in forced religious conversions.

“Underage girls and women are being targeted with forced conversions almost on a daily basis, but we also hear reports of boys and men being forced to convert,” Qayyum told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.

He said that in some cases, the victims have been coerced to convert to Islam by threatening them with harm or withholding economic opportunities.

“Threats, blackmail or promises of financial prosperity are used to pressure minorities to convert,” he said. “There’s no age bar on changing one’s religion, but you cannot force anyone to do it, especially a minor child.”

On Jan. 22, Christians Azam Masih and his brother Nadeem Masih were abducted, beaten with iron rods and pressured to convert to Islam in the Kotli Loharan area of Sialkot District, Punjab Province. The assailants also recorded a video statement of the brothers in which they were forced to say that they were converting to Islam of their own free will, a rights advocate said.

Some Muslims believe that the mere recitation of shahada (Arabic; “Kalima” in Urdu) is sufficient to convert a non-Muslim to Islam, even if there is no belief, and no matter what the circumstances that surround the “conversion.” Once a person becomes a Muslim, he or she is considered apostate if they return to their original faith.

Apostasy is punishable by death, imprisonment or confiscation of property according to Islamic law, though in modern times this is rarely practiced at the state level. Some zealous Muslims, however, have believed they were doing the right thing by attacking or killing apostates.

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.

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