Pakistan: hundreds of Christian girls forced to convert to Islam 
April 14, 2011
Citing several examples, the Fides news agency reports that hundreds of Christian girls in Pakistan have been abducted, forced to convert to Islam, and raped or forced into marriages. "The Christian girls are the weakest and most vulnerable, because their communities are poor, defenseless and marginalized, therefore easily exposed to harassment and threats," said a nun who hides girls who have escaped their captors. Often they do not even have the courage to denounce the violence."
"The trend is worrying," she added. "There are hundreds of cases a year registered, and those that come to light are only a fraction."
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India: tens of thousands of Christians to protest persecution April 14, 2011
Tens of thousands of Christians will take to the streets of Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, and Bangalore on Good Friday in silent protest of the persecution of Christians in India. "Anti-Christian attacks by Hindu extremist groups are on the rise: in 2011 there is one attack a day on average," said lay activist Joseph Dias, head of the Catholic Secular Forum. "Sometimes the attacks are concentrated in some areas, such as Orissa or Karnataka, but we can't say that any state in India is immune."
"Often the excuse is a false accusation of proselytism and forced conversions," he added. "The real issue is that Hindu extremists do not tolerate the social commitment of Christians in schools and hospitals, and above all their valuable work in promoting the human, economic and social situation of Dalits and tribals, who are downtrodden and discriminated against in society on the basis of caste, and as a result they often ask to embrace the Christian faith."
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