Pakistani Christian mother of three Fouzia rescued again after being returned to forced marriage abductor by family

A Muslim man named forcibly married and converted a Christian woman and mother of three to Islam, after he abducted her following an impromptu request for cleaning services at his residence on 23rd July 2015.

Divorcee Fouzia Sadiq (31 yrs), had separated from her husband a few years earlier after he had secretly married another woman.  Fouzia took up cleaning as an employment to help her family who were supporting her even though they were in great poverty.   When her Muslim employer Muhammed Nazir Amjad (61 yrs) lost his wife he started to make sexual advances on Fouzia even though she had no desire for him.

Fouzia told one Muhammed Nazir’s daughters about the unsolicited behaviour from her father but was met with a slap and a severe scolding.  She was told never to return to the home of Muhammed Nazir, which suited her fine. A few days  later the Muslim man who was also owned her family who were contracted into slavery, demanded Fouzia return back for cleaning and used the visit to his home as an opportunity to rape her and then forcibly convert her to Islam and marry her.

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BPCA were asked to help her family around a week later and moved by her plight decided to rescue Fouzia from her predicament. Read full story (click here). 

Fouzia was provided a secret phone by the BPCA and with help of her family members was able to escape the clutches of Muhammed Nazir Amjad (61 yrs) in a globally reported news story, just over a year ago.  Read full story (click here)

British Pakistani Christian Association launched an appeal for Fouzia to be given asylum in the west
(click here).

The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Pakistan and the British Embassy in Pakistan denied Fouzia any avenue for esacpe.  The UNHRC failed to respond to our emails at all and the British High Commission sent a very perfunctory response:

“We have received your email below.

Please be advised as a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the UK fully considers all asylum applications lodged in the UK. However, the UK’s international obligations under the Convention do not extend to the consideration of asylum applications lodged abroad and there is no provision in our Immigration Rules for someone abroad to be given permission to travel to the UK to seek asylum. The policy guidance on the discretionary referral to the UK Border Agency of applications for asylum by individuals in a third country who have not been recognised as refugees by another country or by the UNHCR under its mandate, has been withdrawn. No applications will be considered by a UK visa-issuing post or by the UK Border Agency pending a review of the policy and guidance.

You may wish to approach UNHCR for advice or assistance, they can be contacted via their website at http://unhcrpk.org/contact-us/

Regards,
British High Commission”

Under overwhelming duress applied by the Muslim family of Muhammed Nazir which included police coercion, Fouzia’s family returned the escapee to her captor. Read full story (here). The family are all brick workers and are bonded labourers (modern day slaves), they have few rights and little power.  The justice system works against them in a society that is more feudal then democratic.  Any condemnation of the family would be misguided they had little choice in this decision. If anything the illustrated failing is one created by biased statutory forces and a Government who has failed them.

BPCA did not give up and working with the cousin of Fouzia and one loyal brother Paris, together they were able to help Fouzia escape her captors on 27th October 2016 by once again getting a phone to her.  We have kept her story under the radar and have provided her with shelter and employment allowing her some time to convalesce.

Fouzia is now in a place of safety but remains in a country with a poor sense of justice, especially for Christians, and she can have no future there. Laws and cultural bias mean that Fouzia will probably lose her campaign for an annulment of her forced marriage placing her in an extremely dangerous position. She feels a constant fear that she will be captured once again which would lead to her becoming once again a sex slave for a lecherous rapist.  Even then she has asked for us to fight a legal battle for her freedom.

Fouzia has described a despicable existence in the home of Muhammed Nazir.  She was forced to cook and clean for him, was beaten and tortured by Muhhamed Nazir and his family and was required to satisfy his sexual desires at his whim.

Fouzia spent most of her time alone and would weep daily praying for freedom. When she was returned by her family to the monster who had terrorized her so brutally, she reached her lowest point. Fouzia at that point started top engage in self harm.

Fouzia said:

“I thought God had left me and I wanted to end my life.  I stopped praying and hated myself, I thought I was evil and had done something to make God hate me. 

“I felt dirty and unclean all the time the monster made me do things I am so ashamed of.  But I had no choice.  It made me angry that God was blaming me. 

“I reached my lowest point and tried to commit suicide by taking some pills.  I was rushed to the hospital and the monster used the opportunity to remove my ovaries, so I would not have any more children.”

“I could not even kill myself, I felt totally helpless.  I realized I was not getting out of this life on my own and asked God to forgive my mistrust in Him. I decided to use any spare minute to pray for freedom. 

“The only time I felt any peace was when I prayed.  God was my only company.

“One day my cousin secretly gave me a phone that the BPCA had provided,  I realized God had not forgotten me. He was there for me just as he had always been.

“With the phone I was able to escape the clutches of a monster and his evil family. Now I pray for freedom from the forced marriage that I am shackled by.”

BPCA has kept Fouzia in safety for a few months but now she has a desire to be set free of her forced marriage.

Fouzia believes that God will see her through this difficult period by providing an annulment which she believes will pave the way for many other Christian women and girls to escape equally torturous forced Islamic marriage.  She has asked for Christians across the globe to join hearts and hands and pray for her as she begins this battle.

To help Fouzia with her legal battle we need to raise £1500 for a professional solicitor.  We are also seeking help towards the ongoing costs of our safe houses which help many women and girls in a similar position. If you would like to donate (click here).

Please sign our petition (click here)