https://arab.news/2z67g
On June 2, Dr. Helen Mary Roberts of the Pakistan Army Medical Corps was promoted to the rank of Brig. General. Roberts’ promotion makes her the first Christian woman to be promoted to the rank of Brig. Gen. in Pakistan’s history. Previously in 2020, Major General Nigar Johar had made history by becoming the first woman in Pakistani history to be promoted to the rank of Lt. General. Like Lt. General Johar, General Roberts’ prominence makes her an important role model for Pakistan’s young women.
The promotion is doubly important because it comes at a time when the position of Pakistani Christians within society remains as precarious as ever. From forced conversions to blasphemy allegations and mob violence, the news is packed with shameful reports of society at large’s treatment of its Christian minorities.
Pakistani Christian girls in particular have long been subject to forced conversions where they are abducted from their homes or schools and then forced into Muslim marriages. A few weeks prior to Roberts’ promotion, a court in Pattoki........