Farah Hatim a Christian girl kidnapped, raped and then forced into Islamic marriage - Court closes hearing after Farah could take the pressure no more!

Farah Hatim - our brave brave sister!

Farah Hatim the girl at the fore of a huge debate on the kidnap of Minority women and forced marriage into Muslim families, gave up her freedom on the 20th July 2011.  

It would seem threats to her and her family and an assumed pregnancy with associated stigma, forced the hand of this brave women who fought against the oppression and violence meted out to her.  

No doubt this story will offend many people and will cause great despair in our community, however, we must recognise the bravery of Farah, in taking the issue this far and the love she has for her family.  She was allowed to meet her family for just 10 minutes after the hearing and now they have no authority to see her Agenzia Fides tells us.  

Our concern is she has no rights of her own in Pakistan a country with one of the worst womens' rights practices and records globally.  

There is no way of telling what treatment or lifestyle Farah can expect now, however we know that she has a strong faith in Christ and we should all now pray for that faith to continue, through what will be a tormenting future.  

Farah if expecting a child will see that child grow with a faith not natural to her or one that she by choice would have exposed her child to.  Moreover she has had to tear her heart asunder by creating a permanent separation from a family she no doubt would never have wanted.

The 20th July has now to be regarded as one of the darkest days of our history, but stay strong and hold on to your faith.  As one day, I believe, God will remove our people from this awful tyranny!

Here is a full account of the story produced by Agenzia Fides:

2011-07-20
ASIA/PAKISTAN – The Punjab High Court closes the case: Farah Hatim stays with the Muslim family
invia articolo printable version preferiti Bahawalpur (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic girl Farah Hatim will stay with her Muslim husband. This is what sources of Fides in Bahawalpur say, where today, July 20, the hearing before the local branch of the Punjab High Court was held. The appeal before the High Court was presented by the APM (All Pakistan Minorities Alliance), after a court of first instance had turned down the request to meet the girl, who according to family members was kidnapped and forced to marry a Muslim man in the city of Rahim Yar Khan (see Fides 12/7/2011).

In tears, Hatim Farah appeared today before the judge of the High Court of Punjab, Bahawalpur section. When the judge asked her the question “which family do you choose”, the girl, after an interminable silence, replied: “Both.” The Court argued that “this is impossible”, the question was repeated. At that point, Farah chose her new Muslim family.

So the curtain drops on a case that has enthralled the Christian community public in Pakistan, concerned about Christian girls who are kidnapped and forced into an Islamic marriage, more than 700 cases are reported every year. The judge allowed Farah to have a private talk with her family of origin for 10 minutes. The girl, say sources of Fides, reported that she was indeed “taken in” but she also confided, visibly shaken, that “she cannot come back”. According to Farah’s family, the reasons for her choice are not clear: they could be due to death threats or intimidations, but also the possibility that the girl is pregnant. In this case, according to the customary law of Pakistan, Farah cannot help but stay with her husband, because if repudiated, she would be “labeled forever” and no man would ever want her by his side.

“Beyond the possible reasons, when the court asked her the most important question, Farah said she wanted to stay with her Muslim husband, marking her destiny forever. From now on, the family of origin no longer has any authority over her, even according to the law ” note sources of Fides.

The High Court had set the hearing for yesterday, July 19, ordering the police of Rahim Yar Khan to take the girl. The agents did not execute the order yesterday, saying the judge was ill. The judge issued a new 

In any case Farah’s family confirmed to Fides their concern for the girl’s destiny, saying they are “not convinced” of the story’s outcome. This is why they ask the international community to put pressure on the Pakistani government to review the case. Local sources of Fides say that Farah was however victim of a network that carries out ” women trafficking”, with ties in the hospital where Farah worked and in the world of politics, to provide girls to politicians in sight. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/07/2011