complacency in what it said are "serious attacks" on converts to Christianity by Muslim militants, in the Asian nation. The attacks include rape, beatings and kidnappings, said Christian Freedom International (CFI) in a message to BosNewsLife News Center.
News of the violence comes just days after another human rights group, Barnabas Fund, expressed concern about the situation in neighboring India where it said a young Christian girl was kidnapped earlier this month in the disputed Kashmir region. "She is a convert from Shia Islam, and had been working for a Christian ministry."
The Kashmiri convert, who Barnabas Fund intensified only as ‘N’ is one of a few Kashmiri women known to have become Christians. "She has been involved with translation work on children’s Bible stories. The ministry itself has had much pressure from the local mullahs, who have been harassing the workers to leave their homes, and issuing death threats against them," Barnabas Fund explained.
"SERIOUS ATTACKS"
In Bangladesh, "serious attacks on converts to Christianity by Islamic extremists are [also] increasing," said CFI. "[But] the Bangladesh government is doing nothing to stop the persecution of these Christians," claimed CFI President Jim Jacobson.
CFI reported it had found evidence of "increased persecution" of former Muslims, including
in the capital Dhaka. "For example, Kumkum Roy and Shahanaz Alam are living at an undisclosed safe house of a CFI coworker in Dhaka. Kumkum Roy is concerned that an attempt will be made to kidnap her and take her back to the man who initially abducted, beat, and raped her. She is afraid that this time she will be killed," the organization added.
However "Roy’s situation is all too common in Bangladesh, where women who have converted to Christianity are abducted, beat, raped, and forced to marry and reconvert to Islam," said CFI’s Jacobson.
DEATH THREATS
Because of her conversion to Christianity, Shahanaz Alam cannot return to her home, CFI stressed. "She has received death threats from neighbors and is desperately seeking a permanent, safe place to live." Local police have allegedly refused to intervene.
In addition Peter A. Khaleque, a former Bangladeshi police officer who converted to Christianity and is now working as a pastor, is facing a possible prison sentence on what CFI called "trumped-up charges" apparently because he shared his faith with a Muslim driver.
"He is concerned that if he is sentenced to prison his unprotected 12 year old Christian daughter will be abducted, raped, beaten, and forced to marry and convert to Islam," CFI said. The developments are part of what human rights groups say is growing pressure in Muslims-turned-Christians in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
SIGN OF HOPE
But in one sign of hope "prayers were answered" in Tanzania where a convert who was kidnapped by his extended family escaped this week, Barnabas Fund said. The young Swahili man was kidnapped by his uncles on May 13, but managed to call friends two days later who helped him to escape, the organization claimed.
He had allegedly been open in sharing his new faith with his community in Kilwa, Tanzania, for which his family had already driven him out of his home. "Now in a safe location E is facing decisions about his future," Barnabas Fund said. (With BosNewsLife Research, Stefan J. Bos and reports from Bangladesh, India and Tanzania).
