We've been following the case of Rifqa Bary, the Ohio teen who converted from Islam to Christianity, and then ran away to Florida where she was hidden by members of a church she met on Facebook. Bary had claimed that she feared for her life, and that her father had threatened to kill her for becoming Christian. Bary was remanded to custody of the state of Florida while an investigation took place.
Now, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's report is out, and they say there's no evidence at all to support her claim. In fact, they say she lied about her fears, and that she wasn't entirely truthful with investigators about how she got to Florida in the first place. Authoirities believe that members of the Global Revolution Church likely funded Bary's travel from Ohio. Bary had originally claimed that she hitchhiked all the way to Florida.
Bary told investigators that her father regularly abused her and punished her for not being devout enough. However, he allowed her to participate as a cheerleader at her high school, which would seem an odd paradox.
Members of Florida's fundamentalist Christian community have been protesting the case, and rumors had surfaced that Bary's father was part of a terrorist cell. One has to wonder where those rumors came from, and it's important to note that the FDLE states in the report that the investigation is solely focused on Bary and her family, and not on the Islamic community as a whole. In fact, they specifically state, "Any investigation into any person, religious or social organization without a specific identifiable criminal predicate would be inappropriate."
No word yet on whether members of the church involved in Bary's case will face and criminal charges or not. What do you think? Should they be charged if they helped seventeen-year-old Rifqa Bary run away from home?
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Now, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's report is out, and they say there's no evidence at all to support her claim. In fact, they say she lied about her fears, and that she wasn't entirely truthful with investigators about how she got to Florida in the first place. Authoirities believe that members of the Global Revolution Church likely funded Bary's travel from Ohio. Bary had originally claimed that she hitchhiked all the way to Florida.
Bary told investigators that her father regularly abused her and punished her for not being devout enough. However, he allowed her to participate as a cheerleader at her high school, which would seem an odd paradox.
Members of Florida's fundamentalist Christian community have been protesting the case, and rumors had surfaced that Bary's father was part of a terrorist cell. One has to wonder where those rumors came from, and it's important to note that the FDLE states in the report that the investigation is solely focused on Bary and her family, and not on the Islamic community as a whole. In fact, they specifically state, "Any investigation into any person, religious or social organization without a specific identifiable criminal predicate would be inappropriate."
No word yet on whether members of the church involved in Bary's case will face and criminal charges or not. What do you think? Should they be charged if they helped seventeen-year-old Rifqa Bary run away from home?
Follow Pagan/Wiccan on Twitter or Join Me On Facebook!
Hmmm, are those involved in her conversion and flight from her family being investigated at all? Although they claim to be a Christian group they seem slightly more of a cult. She may have told them she feared for her life and they may be totally innocent but to help her run away and hide? That’s not the actions of an above board group really is it?
I’m wondering where the idea of her needing to fear for her life came from. Is there any kernal of truth? Did the girl make it up? Did she watch too many episodes of AMW and Law & Order? Or did this Florida group plant the idea? It would be interesting to see the transcripts from her internet chats with these people.
Any church that needs to use lies, deception, and trickery to attract and keep converts has “wrong” or “cult” written all over it. And any person who would resort to such means after converting to a faith that supposedly follows the 10 commandments has highly questionable motivation as well
I don’t care if they call themselves Christian, if they aided the girl in running away, they need to answer to the law.
If not, then what sort of example will that be sending to cults? Was that church THAT desperate for young people that it recruited from Ohio? That’s not Christian. That sounds like cult.
That is rediculous. I think they shoud be charged with something. Helping and harboring an underaged girl that ran away from home, yeah, if they weren’t a so called church, they would be charged with something. Does throwing out that they’re Christian save them from the treatment that any one else would recieve?
This girl either lied to them about her father being how he was or they fed her scare tactics. Either way, with their story two and two isn’t making four.
I’m thinking perhaps the girl and the cult sponsoring her should be charged with a hate crime, false reporting, and probably a few other things.
I too would be concerned about this “church” group – that lured a 17 year old out of her home to travel by bus to “meet” with and be hidden by these “members of a church”. Knowing the laws as these Christian folks should, I would be worried that they would be luring other kids on the internet to them. And then what? I would be checking out the “church” to see what else they have been up to. It sets up all sorts of red flags when a teenager runs away from home to a “church” and hides. I would say “CULT” does come to mind here. I remember Tony Alamo and his “church” of luring young people with a hot meal, only to find its a baked potato, no butter or anything to drink. Yep, a potato is good, but – when I was a kid, all sorts of red flags suddenly loomed in front of me, and I ran. I am glad I did. They had their “members” out on the sidewalks selling flowers and such on the corners, bringing the money back, to pay for a ranch these young members would never see, but Tony Alamo lived in wealth. He’s now serving time in prison for marrying off girls as young as 13 to older men, alledgely having sex with these young girls and transporting same young girls over state lines. He’s just one of many – and a girl runs away from her family to a “church” in Florida. Yep, red flags everywhere.
It seems to me that if this “Church” was legitimate, they would have advised this girl to go to her local authorities to keep all parties legal. She did not have to go so far from her area to seek shelter if she was indeed in fear for her life. I am not saying she was not actually afraid, but that the adults involved in this “Church” acted illegally as well as irresponsibly and should have to pay the price. Yes, they should be investigated. Any Fire Station in any town is a “Safe House” where adults and childen can go for help! And many other places are as well! The local Police Dept?
ANd yes, the cheerleading does bring up the question..a real threat or not?
It is unfortunate that things happened as they did. The issue of threats against Muslim children and young adults regarding conversion or intermarriage. I have personally witnessed such threats (more properly, verifications of such threat by friends and family of the girl) to a young woman in Ghana.
Social services should monitor the situation at home to assure there was no coercion or threats thereof.
In Florida, the church (or cult) involved should also be investigated and the actual participants in this case prcsecuted. All the specific changes apply. In addition, in her time at the Florida church, if she was given communion, they should also be charged with corrupting the morals of a minor on behalf of her parents.
my take on this is a little different because of being from the UK. Under UK law she’s not a child (slthough because of some odd loopholes not really an adult either) but moving out at 17 is not that uncommon, especially if their home-life is unhappy.
Sounds to me like she was probably unhappy at home and, as teenagers do, got herself into a bit of a state over it. Hopefully the court case will force her to talk to her family and maybe things will be sorted out.
I would say the cult status and suspiciousness of the Church all rests on whether they paid for her travel. If they did then that’s worrying. If they didn’t then it might well be that they simply offered comfort to a distressed girl and when she decided to run away she thought of them as a place to go.
I think the terrorism rumours are inevitable in the current politcal climate in most Western countries is a Muslim man is accused of anyhting more serious than Jay walking. Sad but true.
I live in Ohio in a relatively small community, and we have a battered women’s shelter. I’m sure other towns also have them. There are also lots of law-abiding Christian folks around here who are proud of their second amendment rights and would be more than happy to defend a sister of their faith from her Muslim father if he really was violently inclined. For that matter most of the cops around here are God-fearing Christians. She wouldn’t have to walk three steps from her door to find a church in which to stand up and pray about her situation. No way she would have needed to go all the way to Florida for help. At seventeen, she has less than a year to go before she’s legal. I too would like to see an investigation of this Florida church, not that I’m accusing them of doing anything wrong because this girl could have duped them into believing her life really was in danger. Parents of all religions make headlines by murdering their kids every day, it was a plausible story that their could have been an abusive adult in the home so let’s consider the church innocent till proven guilty. But I do think there is reason to look into it and make sure there are no other runaway teens involved here.
if the girl feared for her life why not go to the local police or a school counselor or even a social worker. i mean there are people in idaho who can help her im sure. but to run all the way to florida to reach a church is a little suspect. were there no Christian churches in idaho? i think not. church or not those fully capable mind-full adults took a child across state lines they are responsible. and and adult who would advise a child to try to attempt to hitch hike that far doesn’t really care about the child welfare. if they didn’t help her they should have struck home the dangers of trying such a long journey alone at her age. if you ask me they don’t care a lick about her well fair.