Three girls illegally detained by their employers were forced to testify that they’d converted to Islam and wished to return to their captors, but a judge in Pakistan returned them to their Christian parents, sources said.
Justice Shakil Ahmed of the Lahore High Court on Thursday (Aug. 15), allowed the sisters, ages 9, 13 and 16, to retract their forced claims and gave custody of them back to their parents, Naveed Masih and wife Mina Naveed, brick kiln employees in Kasur District, Punjab Province, said Katherine Sapna, executive director of legal advocacy group Christians True Spirit.
The couple had sent their daughters to a Muslim woman, Haleema Bibi, in September 2023 for placement as domestic employees, but soon Bibi told them that employers were demanding 300,000 rupees (1,077 USD) as a “security deposit” to return their oldest daughter, Sapna said.
Sapna and the parents were allowed to talk with their daughters after they testified that they wished to return to their Muslim captors.
“When the women felt a bit relaxed, they told us that Haleema and their employers had forced them to inform the court that they’d converted willfully and desired to return to their newfound Muslim families,” Sapna told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
Sapna said that the women told them that every one three employers had used the identical technique to thwart the parents’ efforts to get well them.
“It’s quite possible that Haleema gave this concept to the employers,” Sapna said. “This trend of using religious conversion as a tool for bonded labor is increasing, particularly within the brick kiln industry in Punjab.”
Poverty had forced the parents to send their daughters, 16-year-old Hina Naveed, 13-year-old Neha Naveed and 9-year-old Mehru Naveed, to Bibi, said their mother, Mina Naveed. She said Bibi had found employment for several Christian children of New Abadi, Chak No. 68 village in Pattok Tehsil. Bibi works on commission and acts as a contact between the families and the employers.
“Haleema assured us that they’d be placed in good homes, and we believed her,” Mina Naveed said. “Most of the kiln employees send their children to work in homes to complement their income. Only then can one manage to feed the family, especially if it’s an enormous one.”
Her youngest daughter, 5, fell in poor health in July, so she called Bibi to return their oldest daughter to look after her because it was very difficult for them to acquire days off from the kiln, she said. Mina Naveed asked Bibi to request Hina’s employers to provide her a 10-day leave in order that she could care for her in poor health sister.
“After a few days, Haleema told us that Hina’s employers were demanding 300,000 rupees as a ‘security deposit’ to return the girl,” she said. “We were shocked to listen to this absurd demand and refused to simply accept it. When we insisted on Hina’s unconditional return, Haleema began threatening us with legal consequences.”
Mina Naveed said that after seeing Bibi’s attitude, she demanded that every one three of her daughters be returned to her immediately.
“But she bluntly refused to accomplish that, saying that every one three girls had converted to Islam and will not be given to their Christian parents,” she said.
With help from CTS, the couple filed a petition within the Lahore High Court for the recovery of their daughters from illegal detention.
“The entire courtroom was shocked when the women said that they were Muslims and didn’t wish to go along with their parents,” Sapna said. “It was a sensitive case, and we laud Justice Ahmed for making the best decision. He gave the parents sufficient time to discuss with the kids, they usually [the parents] succeeded in convincing them [to retract their statements].”
The oldest daughter, Hina, said that her Muslim employer, Madiha Sameer, had told her that converting to Islam was the one approach to save herself from her family.
“She brain-washed me into believing that my father would do horrible things to me if I went back,” Hina told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “She said he would send me to Dubai as a sex employee or could even sell my body organs for money.”
Hina said that Sameer mistreated her during her employment at her home.
“Baji [Madiha Sameer] used to beat me also, and your entire time I used to be there she made me sit on the ground to have my meals,” she said.
Her younger sisters had similar experiences.
“My employer, Uzma Faisal, pressured me to inform the court that I had accepted Islam and desired to live along with her,” Neha told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “She too portrayed a really negative image of my parents.”
Mehru, the youngest daughter, said she was very blissful to be back along with her family.
Sapna said CTS helps the women to rebuild their lives.
The court avoided ordering legal motion against Bibi and the three Muslim families for attempting to forcibly convert the women to Islam. According to the court order, the judge disposed of the petition after the women “expressed their desire to hitch their father/petitioner.”
Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of essentially the most difficult places to be a Christian, because it was the previous 12 months.
