A 14-year-old Christian boy named Jameel Masih from Sheikhupura district in Punjab, Pakistan, was reportedly forcibly converted to Islam. The Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) revealed that Jameel had been working at a local landlord’s cattle shed for five years before being abducted. Despite his parents’ pleas, Jameel was taken away by the wealthy landowner, Muhammad Boota Bajwa, under the cover of darkness.
Following Jameel’s disappearance, a video emerged on social media showing him wearing Islamic attire, confirming suspicions of forced conversion. His family sought help from HARDS Pakistan, a Christian advocacy group, and filed a complaint with the local police. Human rights activists condemned the incident as a severe violation of human rights and vowed to pursue legal action to ensure Jameel’s safe return.
Forced conversions in Pakistan’s minority communities often intersect with issues of poverty and feudal power dynamics. Activists emphasize that such conversions are more about control than faith, with a lack of federal laws criminalizing forced conversions of minors exacerbating the situation. The incident sheds light on a broader pattern of forced conversions and disappearances affecting Christian and Hindu communities in Pakistan, particularly in regions like Sindh and Punjab.
