
Christian mother in Pakistan abducted, forcibly converted/married
A Muslim in Pakistan who twice abducted a Christian mother raped her, fraudulently converted her to Islam and fabricated an Islamic marriage, sources said.

A Muslim in Pakistan who twice abducted a Christian mother raped her, fraudulently converted her to Islam and fabricated an Islamic marriage, sources said.

Christian rights activists and church leaders in Pakistan vowed to step up efforts to protect persecuted Christians as they honored the memory of assassinated Christian politician Shahbaz Bhatti on Sunday (March 2), the 14th anniversary of his death.

A Muslim in Pakistan who kidnapped and forcibly converted a Christian girl who later escaped has abducted her again, her father said.

Church leaders and others in Pakistan lauded the producers and cast of a TV drama for risking their lives to broadcast an unprecedented, national media portrayal of the violent injustice resulting from blasphemy laws.

An 18-year-old Christian in Pakistan imprisoned for more than 17 months on blasphemy charges was expected to be released on bail next week, his lawyer said.

An 18-year-old woman has been reunited with her Catholic family after six months of captivity, forced conversion to Islam and coerced marriage to the Muslim who abducted her, sources said.

Fulani herdsmen killed a Christian and kidnapped four others in Plateau state, Nigeria, on Feb. 1 after massacring more than 10 others Jan. 27-31 in the same state, sources said.

A high court has advised the Pakistan government to establish a commission to investigate alleged collusion between the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Islamist clerics to entrap innocent people in false blasphemy charges, sources said.

Suspected militants of Islamic extremist group Boko Haram killed a pastor at his home in Gombe state, Nigeria on Sunday (Feb. 9), as violence continued to terrorize the country’s northeast, sources said.

Suspected Fulani herdsmen last week invaded three predominantly Christian communities in Benue state, Nigeria, killing six Christians, injuring another and kidnapping eight residents, area sources said.

A married, 35-year-old Muslim neighbor of a 12-year-old Christian girl abducted her and took her to another province, where he forcibly converted her to Islam and married her, her father said.

Suspected Fulani herdsmen on Wednesday (Feb. 5) killed three Christians in Kaduna state, a week after three others were slain in the same area, sources said.