Indian-born German Sikh woman becomes an Islamist and marries a Pakistani man

According to a media report on Thursday, Jaspreet Kaur, a Sikh woman of Indian origin residing in Germany, has recently entered into matrimony with a gentleman from Pakistan's Punjab province, marking yet another instance of matrimonial unions between individuals from the two neighboring nations that have historically had strained relations. 

Kaur, who now goes by the name Zainab, formally tied the knot with Ali Arsalan, as validated by the certificate of acceptance of Islam issued by Jamia Hanafia in Sialkot. Before the wedding ceremony, Kaur, originally from Ludhiana in Punjab, underwent a conversion to Islam at the institution above, embracing her new Islamic identity.

Reports indicate that the couple became acquainted while residing abroad, with Arsalan eventually extending an invitation for Kaur to visit Pakistan, where their relationship blossomed, culminating in marriage during Kaur's visit for a religious pilgrimage that commenced on January 16. 

Despite holding an Indian passport, Kaur was granted a single-entry visa valid until April 15 to facilitate her visit to Pakistan.

Officials at Jamia Hanafia revealed that Kaur is among the more than 2,000 non-Muslims who have embraced Islam at their institution.

Such marriages between Pakistani and Indian nationals often attract attention due to the complex relationship between the two countries, particularly concerning contentious issues like Kashmir. Notably, in recent times, similar cross-border marriages have made headlines, including instances such as an Indian girl named Anju journeying to Pakistan for marriage to a Muslim man, and a Pakistani woman named Seema venturing to India to wed a Hindu man.