{"id":70981,"date":"2025-03-10T20:12:14","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T19:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/?p=70981"},"modified":"2025-03-10T20:12:17","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T19:12:17","slug":"pakistani-christian-girls-forced-marriage-annulled-in-win-for-religious-freedom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/forced-marriage-annulled","title":{"rendered":"Pakistani Christian girl\u2019s forced marriage annulled in win for religious freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"70981\" class=\"elementor elementor-70981\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-294e7fba elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"294e7fba\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5cd96205\" data-id=\"5cd96205\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1eea1654 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1eea1654\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Christian 18-year-old Shahida Bibi\u2019s forced conversion to Islam and forced marriage to her stepfather\u2019s brother have been annulled by a court in Pakistan.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW209121574 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW209121574 BCX0\">Minority w<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW209121574 BCX0\">omen and girls, often Christian, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW209121574 BCX0\">in Pakistan face dual threat of forced conversion and marriage; ADF International <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW209121574 BCX0\">supports their <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW209121574 BCX0\">defence<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW209121574 BCX0\"> to end this human rights abuse<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW209121574 BCX0\">. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW209121574 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32f0484 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"32f0484\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shahida-Bibi-1024x576.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-70982\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shahida-Bibi-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shahida-Bibi-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shahida-Bibi-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shahida-Bibi.jpg 1040w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-29393bb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"29393bb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Pictured: Shahida Bibi<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2431fc49 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2431fc49\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">PAKISTAN<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202f<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">(10 March 2025)<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202f\u2013 Shahida Bibi is now free to return home to her father and to her Christian faith after a court in Pakistan annulled her forced conversion and marriage to her stepfather\u2019s brother. Bibi was 11 years old when her mother eloped with a Muslim man, who then \u201cgave\u201d Bibi to his brother. Bibi went on to give birth to two children, and the brother contracted Islamic Nikah, or a marriage union, to Bibi when she turned 18 in order to escape prosecution under the anti-child marriage law.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In February 2025, a civil court in Bahawalpur, Pakistan issued a decree in favor of Bibi and ordered that Bibi\u2019s forced marriage be dissolved on all identification documents. Bibi was issued new documents that correctly state her religion as Christianity. ADF International and allied attorneys supported Bibi\u2019s legal defence.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Globally,\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/eap\/press-releases\/10-million-additional-girls-risk-child-marriage-due-covid-19-unicef\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">100 million girls are at risk<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fof being forced into child marriage over the next decade, according to UNICEF. The threat for girls from religious minorities, particularly in certain parts of Asia and Africa, of also being coerced into changing their religion in connection with a forced marriage is particularly acute.\u202fIn Pakistan, for example, more than 1,000 girls from religious minorities are forced into conversion and marriage every year.\u202f\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cNobody should suffer the horrors of abduction and forced marriage, further being forced to give up their faith,\u201d <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">said Tehmina Arora, Director of Advocacy, Asia for ADF International. <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWe are grateful that Shahida Bibi has received justice over her captor. Shahida is now free and able to begin the process of healing from this ordeal. These cases are a tremendous violation of these young women\u2019s basic human rights, including their religious freedom.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ADF International and allied lawyers are engaged in supporting women and girls suffering from forced marriage in light of the recurring issue where women and girls, often Christian, are forced to convert to Islam for their marriage to be validated by a Sharia court. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Girls from minority religions face acute risk globally<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Under Sharia law, which permits marriage at the age of puberty,\u202fthe marriage age is lower than the official marriage age, which varies between 16 and 18 years in different Pakistani states. When girls are forced to convert, their parents often are unable to stop the violation from happening.\u202fThese women and girls often are fearful for their lives and those of their families, preventing them from denouncing their captors.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWhile these forced conversion and marriage abuses happen across the globe, they are especially prevalent in Pakistan. In coordination with our allied lawyers in the country, we are taking every step possible to prevent these situations from occurring. The government has an opportunity to make a difference, and they should start by implementing a uniform age for marriage to prevent these forced kidnappings and marriages from happening in the first place. Every person under international law has the right to freely choose and live out their faith without fear of violence. Every state, including Pakistan, must ensure that their laws and policies are in line with their commitments to protect religious freedom under international law, and that the laws they do have in place to protect girls from these violations are enforced,\u201d<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Arora continued.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e3a013e elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"e3a013e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/YQXm_5Lo0Ig?si=7k4jeredp1IXqUE1&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"> <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-container brlbs-cmpnt-content-blocker brlbs-cmpnt-with-individual-styles\" data-borlabs-cookie-content-blocker-id=\"youtube-content-blocker\" data-borlabs-cookie-content=\"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\"><div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-preset-c brlbs-cmpnt-cb-youtube\"> <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-thumbnail\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/borlabs-cookie\/1\/yt_YQXm_5Lo0Ig_hqdefault.jpg')\"><\/div> <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-main\"> <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-play-button\"><\/div> <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-content\"> <p class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-description\">You are currently viewing a placeholder content from <strong>YouTube<\/strong>. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.<\/p> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-provider-toggle\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-show-provider-information role=\"button\">More Information<\/a> <\/div> <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-buttons\"> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-unblock role=\"button\">Unblock content<\/a> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-accept-service role=\"button\" style=\"display: inherit\">Accept required service and unblock content<\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fb70c3b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fb70c3b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">International spotlight on Pakistan<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The victory in Shahida Bibi\u2019s case comes as human rights leaders from across the globe are turning their attention to Pakistan\u2019s egregious human rights violations.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In January 2025, <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">officials from the European Union <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/eeas.eu.com\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/2025\/Press%20Release%20EU%20Special%20Representative%20on%20Human%20Rights%20Visits%20Pakistan.pdf\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">issued a warning<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> to Pakistan regarding their human rights violations, including blasphemy laws, forced conversions, and other targeted persecution against religious minorities. If not addressed, Pakistan\u2019s trade relations with the EU could be jeopardized.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/senate-irf-resolution\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">In 2024<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), James Lankford (R-OK), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced a bipartisan <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lankford.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/religious_freedom_resolution_bill_text.pdf\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">resolution<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> that called for the U.S. to \u201cleverage all diplomatic and sanctions tools available to the United States Government to hold religious freedom violators accountable for their actions\u201d. The resolution specifically points to religious freedom violations, including forced marriages and conversions, in Pakistan, among other countries. The resolution was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/support-irf-resolution\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">widely supported<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> by religious freedom advocates and organizations from across the globe.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ADF International has highlighted the testimonies of survivors of forced marriages and conversions in a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/YQXm_5Lo0Ig?si=3R_48wqof9UxquDV\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">mini-documentary<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24aa4a89 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"24aa4a89\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div 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data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"44faa44c\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Shahida Bibi\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6NzA5ODcsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC9hZGZpbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsLm9yZ1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNVwvMDNcL1NoYWhpZGEtQmliaS0xLmpwZyIsInNsaWRlc2hvdyI6IjQ0ZmFhNDRjIn0%3D\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shahida-Bibi-1-1024x576.jpg\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"576\" aria-label=\"\" role=\"img\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Christian 18-year-old Shahida Bibi\u2019s forced conversion to Islam and forced marriage to her stepfather\u2019s brother have been annulled by a court in Pakistan.\u00a0\u00a0 Minority women and girls, often Christian, in Pakistan face dual threat of forced conversion and marriage; ADF International supports their defence to end this human rights abuse. \u00a0 Pictured: Shahida Bibi PAKISTAN\u202f(10 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":70982,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[29,248,249,32,30,80,27,1288,271],"class_list":["post-70981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-christian-persecution","tag-end-forced-marriage","tag-forced-conversion","tag-forced-marriage","tag-pakistan","tag-persecution","tag-religious-freedom","tag-shahida-bibi","tag-tehmina-arora"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pakistani Christian girl\u2019s forced marriage annulled in win for religious freedom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Christian 18-year-old Shahida Bibi\u2019s forced conversion to 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