Source: Morning Star News, March 26, 2026
A court in Pakistan on Wednesday (March 25) upheld the marriage of a forcibly converted 13-year-old Christian girl to the Muslim man accused of kidnapping her, sending a wave of anguish and alarm through the Christian community.
Christian rights advocates and civil society groups strongly condemned the verdict by the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), which granted custody of young Maria Shahbaz to Shehryar Ahmad, a 30-year-old Muslim alleged to have forcibly converted and married her.
Maria was abducted on July 29, and since then, her family has repeatedly sought judicial intervention to recover her, without success.
Read the full story. Pray for Maria and others like her in diverse contexts.
Another teenager who could use your prayers is 16-year-old Jonathan Muir Burgos, arrested with his father, a pastor in Cuba who was later released. We found multiple articles about their arrest but no reports that the son, who has significant health issues, was released from custody.