MY ACCOUNT
GCR field reporter Nasir Jamil spoke to Amanda*, a persecuted Pakistani Christian woman who was forced to marry her kidnapper and convert to Islam. This is her story.
One afternoon, when Amanda was 17, she was walking in her neighborhood to buy vegetables. Suddenly, a car stopped next ot her. Three Muslim men pushed her into the car, covered her mouth and eyes and sped away.
The men drugged and assaulted Amanda. Through tears, she frantically prayed to God to protect her.
When Amanda woke up, she was told that she would marry one of the kidnappers, Zaid. The men took her to Zaid’s home village in a remote part of Pakistan.
“I am not a Muslim. I really don’t want to leave my religion,” Amanda insisted. But her kidnappers replied that, if she refused, they would kill her.
That night, a Muslim priest arrived and declared them married.
A Persecuted Pakistani Christian woman’s life with her abductor
Amanda lived with Zaid’s family for months, spending her days doing housework and learning about Islam. When she refused, she was beaten. Every day, Amanda prayed for freedom.
One day, Zaid and Amanda went to Lahore, Pakistan, where her family lived. Amanda hoped desperately for a chance to see her family. But Zaid warned her that if she contacted her parents, he would kill them.
Amanda was willing to take the risk. She escaped from Zaid and returned to her parents, who welcomed her back with open arms.
But that evening, the three kidnappers came to their home, shooting bullets at her door and demanding that Amanda return.
Amanda’s family called the police. Later on, at the police station, the abductors presented documents of my religious conversion. Amanda was called in as a witness where, she, despite her fear, she insisted, “I never embraced Islam nor wedded Zaid willingly. I am a Christian and would like to die as a faithful Christian.”
Amanda was allowed to stay with her family, but the charges against all three abductors were dropped. Zaid and his family have threatened Amanda and her family repeatedly.
Amanda’s faith sustains her
Praise God, Amanda has a firm faith in Christ. Knowing that Jesus fights on her behalf, this persecuted Pakistani Christian woman hopes for justice for herself and others who have gone through what she went through.
In recent years, violence against women in Punjab, Pakistan has been on the rise. Assaults and kidnappings increased significantly and minority Christian girls have been disproportionately affected. Psalm 89:14 says, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; love and faithfulness go before You.” Pray for swift justice to come, not only for Amanda but for all young Christian women in Pakistan who find themselves in forced marriages.
*Please note: The names in this story have been changed for safety and anonymity. The photo is a representative image of a Pakistani woman.
About the author
Chandler Peterson is a staff writer and editor for Global Christian Relief where she shares stories of Christian persecution. Read the latest Christian persecution stories on our website and learn more at GlobalChristianRelief.org.
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