According to a professor of anthropology at Boston University, who is director of Women's Studies and whose area of specialization includes women in Pakistan, a Muslim woman may legally marry a Christian man if that man converts to Islam (26 Sept. 2001). Both the president of the Pakistan Christian Congress, a political and social party in Pakistan, and the president and founder of Pakistan Christian Voice, a non-denominational and non-political Christian organization based in Rawalpindi, noted that, according to Islamic Law and teachings, Muslim males can marry women belonging to other faiths, but Muslim women are not allowed to marry men of other faiths (27 Sept. 2001).

The president of the Pakistan Christian Congress also noted that, in order for a Muslim woman to marry a Christian man in a Christian ceremony, the woman would first have to convert from Islam to Christianity (ibid.). Under Islamic law, the conversion from Islam to Christianity falls under blasphemy laws and such individuals are subject to capital punishment (ibid.).

According to the president of the Pakistan Christian Voice, in cases where a Muslim woman of a lower class marries a Christian man, both the man and the woman would likely be killed by the woman's family (27 Sept. 2001). Judicial proceedings are seen to damage the honour of the woman's family (ibid). If such marriages are contested at the court or judicial level, both the judge and the police tend to side with the family of the Muslim woman and a charge of adultery is registered against the couple, the punishment for which is stoning to death or flogging (ibid.). If the woman belongs to the middle or upper classes, she might survive (ibid.). The few Muslim families who would spare the life of such a woman would want to cut off ties with her, depriving her of all family associations and property rights (ibid).

The president of the Pakistan Christian Congress added that, when discussing marriage in Pakistan, it is important to remember that most marriages are arranged by families and approved only after family backgrounds and economic circumstances have been checked (27 Sept. 2001). Christian-Muslim relations are so poor and the economic and social conditions of Christians so dire, that such a marriage would be very rare (ibid).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Pakistan Christian Congress. Saddar. 27 September 2001. Correspondence from the president who is also the editor of the Pakistan Christian Post and has delivered several lectures on Islamic laws and minorities.
Pakistan Christian Voice. Rawalpindi. 27 September 2001. Correspondence from the president and founder whose organization also publishes a monthly magazine on Christian issues entitled

Pakistan Christian Voice.

Professor of Anthropology, Boston University. 26 September 2001. Correspondence.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, CD-ROM

IRB databases

LEXIS/NEXIS

Resource Centre. Country File

Internet sites including:

Christian Persecution Worldwide

Christian Solidarity International

Dawn

Minorities at Risk

Frontier Post

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

Human Rights Watch

Pakistan Christian Voice

Search engines:

Lycos

Google

Rediff