Christians Tortured, Forced to Convert to Islam in Pakistan

An Islamist cleric presided over the forced conversion of two Christians after they were tortured into reciting the Islamic conversion creed. Azam and Nadeem Masih were abducted, beaten with iron rods and pressured to convert to Islam on January 22. The assailants threatened the brothers with death if they refused to say they were converting to Islam of their own free will. Their assailants also stole their phones. Their impoverished Christian family chose to keep silent about the ordeal, after being warned not to contact the police. The police arrested the cleric and also registered charges against the suspects of kidnapping, theft, making death threats, and causing injury to extort a confession. The suspects have criminal backgrounds and have been involved in inciting hatred against Christians before. The two brothers and their family have gone into hiding out of fear of reprisals by the accused Muslims, which is hindering the investigation.