Faith Flipping Teen May Have Told Tall Tale
Dad cleared of crime in family's Muslim-Christianity runaway rift
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An Ohio teen who fled her Muslim family for the Christian faith in Florida may have been fibbing when she said her father threatened her for changing religions.
The Ohio teen who fled to Florida claiming her father threatened to kill her for converting to Christianity from Islam may have been stretching the truth after her dad was absolved of any wrongdoing yesterday.
A report by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement released yesterday cleared Mohamed Bary of any criminal activity after his daughter, Rifqa, fled the family's home in July, according to cnn.com.
The 17-year-old had claimed in a sworn affidavit that her father had threatened her with death for making the faith flip and said that he was being pressured by the family's mosque to "deal with the situation."
"If you have this Jesus in your heart, you are dead to me!" Mohamed allegedly said to the teen, adding "I will kill you!"
Rifqa fled to the home of Rev. Blake Lorenz with the Global Revolution Church in Orlando, and was placed into foster care a few weeks later, when she was found by police.
The state investigation, released yesterday, found no history of abuse and found contradictions in the teen's account.
She had told investigators that her father had never seen her in her school cheerleading outfit because she was afraid it might enrage him, yet investigators found photos of the teen in the outfit displayed in the living room of the family's home.
Bary, 47, stated that he would have preferred his daughter follow his Muslim faith but that he and his wife, Aysha, would never have threatened Rifqa.
"We wouldn't do her harm," Bary said during a court hearing earlier this month. "I have no problem with her practicing any faith."
The family is trying to settle the matter through mediation. Another court hearing is scheduled for next week.
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