Rifqa Bary

A runaway Christian convert and her Muslim family must listen to each other's views about religion if they are to reunite, a possibility that appears in jeopardy since the girl continues to refuse any contact with her parents or siblings, a caseworker says. A case-management plan filed Monday said Rifqa Bary and her parents should hear what each has to say about Islam and Christianity as a step toward a possible reunification. But the plan, written by a government caseworker, also said "severe differences" exist between the 17-year-old girl and her parents over what led Rifqa to run away to Florida over the summer. ... Read Full Story

By Rene Stutzman - Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer -  August 30, 2009 Rifqa Bary (center) with her mother Aysha, father Mohamed and 2 brothers in 2005. The family moved to the U.S. in 2000. (COURTESY OF BARY FAMILY / August 28, 2009)  COLUMBUS, Ohio - Mohamed Bary is a doting Muslim father, intent on giving his daughter the best education he can. But he says he made a terrible mistake last October: He bought her a laptop computer. Because of that laptop and access to the Internet, he says he lost his daughter to Christian extremists. Fathima Rifqa Bary, 17, is 800 miles away, ... Read Full Story

The teenager who ran away from Ohio to Florida because she feared physical harm for converting from Islam to Christianity has been ordered back to Ohio. A Florida judge said Tuesday that 17-year-old Rifqa Bary (RIFF'-kuh BEAR'-ee), who has been staying in Orlando, should return to her family, who live outside Columbus. Bary has been in foster care in Florida while her case was being reviewed. The judge says he will turn over the case to an Ohio court in the next few weeks, but no order has been signed yet. Bary ran away from her parents' home in July, saying she feared being ... Read Full Story

When I watch Rifqa Bary in the first few seconds of this video, her behavior changes from a happy "Hi" to this supposedly scared young girl. These two behaviors are very contradictory and my first red flag. It's as if Rifqa didn't notice the camera and when she did, she slinks down into an act. When the reporter asks Rifqa what is going on, Rifqa's demeanor changes again. Notice how she immediately looks down as she starts talking, "Well, ah...I'm a Christian and uh, my parents are Muslim, they're extremely devout..." http://eyesforlies.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-thoughts-rifqa-bary.html Read Full Story

by Denise Clark Rifqa Bary, the teen who fled her Muslim family in Ohio for fear of being the victim of an "honor killing" for converting to Christianity, has now arrived back in Ohio after being transported from Florida. Rifqa repeated her Father's words in her testimony: "If you have this Jesus in your heart, you’re dead to me. You’re not my daughter . . . I will kill you." Now in the custody of the Franklin County Children Services in Columbus, Rifqa has been ordered to undergo counseling while staying with a foster family. To make matters worse, Children Services petitioned for and ... Read Full Story