Young Christian Woman Rescued Just In Time
Javed Masih experienced an emotional reunion last week with his 18-year-old daughter, Sana Javed, after her five-month disappearance. Sana, the youngest of seven children, vanished on June 9 after visiting a local shop in Lahore, Pakistan. Her ordeal revealed she had been forcibly converted to Islam and married to an elderly man in a remote village. Masih, a Catholic truck driver, shared how their desperate search ended in October when a Christian from Balochistan informed him of her whereabouts, though he wouldn’t see her until mid-November.
Masih recounted that Sana had been deceived by a Muslim woman named Hafsa, whom she met on WhatsApp. Hafsa manipulated Sana into secretly traveling to a village in Balochistan. Upon arrival, her phone was confiscated, and she was coerced into reciting the Islamic proclamation of faith and marrying Hafsa’s elderly uncle under threats of violence. Initial police efforts to locate Sana were lackluster, forcing the family to rely on prayer and assistance from a Christian community. Eventually, a Christian schoolteacher named Waseem, with the help of a local politician, located Sana and informed Masih.
With the support of a Christian legal group, Christians’ True Spirit (CTS), and police, Masih and his family traveled to Balochistan to rescue Sana. The operation succeeded, thanks to the influence of a local Muslim politician, who also ensured Sana’s forced husband signed a divorce affidavit. Grateful for the combined efforts of the schoolteacher and the politician, Masih acknowledged their pivotal roles in securing Sana’s safe return. Sana shared her harrowing experience, warning others against trusting strangers on social media and recounting how her faith sustained her through the ordeal.
Her story highlights the widespread issue of forced conversions and marriages in Pakistan, particularly targeting girls from minority religions. On November 7, the United Nations Human Rights Committee expressed grave concern over these violations, noting the impunity surrounding such crimes. The U.N. urged Pakistan to strengthen legal protections, investigate allegations effectively, and provide comprehensive support to victims, including shelters, legal aid, and counseling. Pakistan’s persistent ranking as the seventh-most challenging country for Christians, according to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List, underscores the ongoing struggles faced by religious minorities in the region.