May 1, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 71 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            FORCED RELIGIOUS CONVERSIONS IN SINDH, PAKISTAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 1, 2019

  Mr. SHERMAN. Madam Speaker, as Chair of the Congressional Caucus on 
Sindh and Chairman of the Asia Subcommittee in the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee, I have repeatedly drawn attention to the issue of 
forced conversions and other human rights abuses in the Sindh province 
of Pakistan. Today, I reiterate my concerns about the forced 
conversions of young Sindhi Hindu girls.
  On April 29, the United States Commission on International Religious 
Freedom released its annual report on the world's most egregious 
violators of religious freedom. The report noted that religious freedom 
in Pakistan continued to decline in 2018. The Commission also reported 
that ``Forced conversions of non-Muslims continued despite the passage 
of the Hindu Marriage Act, which recognizes Hindu family law.''
  While the numbers are unclear, estimates suggest that each year, 
several hundred or more girls and young women are abducted, forcibly 
married, and converted to Islam. There were at least 1,000 cases of 
forced conversions of Hindu and Christian girls just in Sindh Province 
in 2018, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. The 
actual number is estimated to be much larger as most cases go 
unreported.
  Pakistan's Human Rights Commission also notes that the Sindh Child 
Marriage Restraint Act of 2013, intended to address the issue, has not 
been enforced effectively. The state's response to forced marriages has 
been mixed, especially because the police are insensitive and 
indifferent in most cases. When families report their daughters as 
missing, this is ignored by the police. Therefore, the abducted girls 
remain with their abductors, where they are often coerced into silence.
  The role of some religious leaders adds to the problem. Mian Mitho, a 
religious leader and politician, has participated in numerous 
conversions of young Sindhi girls. He has close connections with the 
army and the Prime Minister, and this has allowed him to continue his 
activities.
  I urge Pakistan's government to more effectively address the issue of 
forced abductions, forced marriages, and forced religious conversions 
in the Sindh province.

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