Summary: On Tuesday a judge ruled that runaway teenager Rifqa Barry be returned to Ohio. She ran away from her home in Colombus in July after she says her father threatened to kill her for converting from Islam to Christianity. She also claimed that her father was pressured by their mosque to 'deal with the problem.' Rifqa originally saught shelter with a minister in Florida, but then was moved to foster care there. Her parents say that they meant their daugther no harm, and that they have no problem with her religion. Law enforcement found no evidence of criminal activity, and the judge ruled she be moved to Ohio once her immigration status is cleared.
Opinion: I haven't been aware of much religious tension, much less religious persecution in this country. On the other hand, I've been living in an area of the country with very little religious diversity, as nearly everybody I know comes from a christian upbringing. Still, I've assumed that even in areas with lots of religious diversity there is plenty of tolerance and acceptance between each sect. This story sounds like something that would come from the Middle East, where some dedicated followers of Islam resort to jihad for warfare. I would hope that a family would never hurt their child simply because they have different beliefs, but stranger things have happened. I hope that through this ordeal people, especially the people directly involved, will become more tolerant and more loving for all religions. Hopefully this ordeal won't tear the family apart, or cause any religious tensions to grow.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/14/florida.muslim.convert/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
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