Campaigners are urging Boris Johnson to offer asylum to a 14-12 months-historic Christian woman being hunted via Islamist demi se squads in Pakistan after fleeing her compelled marriage to a Muslim man 30 years her senior.
Catholic altar server Maira Shahbaz, who became kidnapped at gunpoint and gang-raped before her marriage ceremony, is in hiding after being accused of apostasy for breaking off the wedding – an offence punishable with the aid of death in Islam.
greater than 9,000 people have signed a petition asking the major Minister to supply the teen and her family asylum in Britain to retailer her from 'certain demise'. Her supporters cite parallels with the case of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian who became hounded through Islamic vigilantes on her free up from prison after bogus blasphemy expenses.
Hiding: Maira Shahbaz fears for her life. The 14-year-historical is in hiding after being accused of apostasy for breaking off the marriage - an offence punishable by way of death in Islam
As a backbench Tory MP, Mr Johnson led requires Mrs Bibi to take delivery of asylum after she spent eight years on loss of life row. She later fled to Canada.
ultimate night, Maira appealed directly to Mr Johnson. 'i'm very lots scared because of threats to my life and my family unit. Please give protection to me,' she noted in an announcement.
The schoolgirl fled her husband in August, 5 days after the Lahore high court ruled she had willingly converted to Islam and married Mohamad Nakash Tariq, a 45-12 months-historical barber who lived near her household within the metropolis of Faisalabad.
The ruling sparked protests in Pakistan the place, in response to human-rights groups, an estimated 1,000 Christian and Hindu women are kidnapped each 12 months and forced to convert to Islam.
Maira claims she become abducted on April 28 and held prisoner in a basement. She alleges that her captors drugged and raped her earlier than forcing her to convert to Islam to marry Tariq. He denies her claims.
Sajid Christopher, a human-rights activist in Lahore who is aiding the teen, stated: 'Maira is conscious that if her abductor finds out the place she is, she could be taken and killed. dangerous guys have been calling at their domestic and their neighbours' homes making an attempt to discover the place the family are.'
As a backbench Tory MP, Boris Johnson (pictured on November 19) led calls for Mrs Bibi to be given asylum after she spent eight years on loss of life row. She later fled to Canada
Catholic charity help To The Church In need launched the asylum petition on its web site. Its UK director, Neville Kyrke-Smith, observed: 'It's urgent that the top Minister acts to keep the lives of Maira and her family unit. t hey are in grave hazard.'
Whitehall sources said considerations about the plight of women in Pakistan had been raised remaining week by way of international office Minister Lord Ahmad all through a meeting with Pakistan's minister for human rights, Dr Shireen Mazari.
besides the fact that children, home office officials do not trust asylum claims lodged outside UK territory, in its place advising those in want of protection to claim asylum in the first safe nation they reach. closing nighttime, a executive spokesman mentioned: 'Forcing ladies and women into marriage is a major abuse of human rights.'
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