This is with reference to the news item “Pak. Hindu girl abducted, married off” (World page, Jan. 29). Assuming the news is true, it is a barbaric atrocity committed on an unwilling woman. Kidnapping women and forcibly converting them to Islam for marriage (or for any reason) is un-Islamic and must be put down with a heavy hand. It brings untold misery to the victims and odious publicity to Islam. Islam does not permit forcible conversions, rather it encourages conversion by persuasion and exemplary conduct. India should take up the case with Pakistan to make sure that the girl is reunited with her family. Further, the Pakistani government must hand out exemplary punishment to the perpetrators.
A. Kutub Shamshudin,
Chennai
