CSI in the News - CSI Today
CSI in the News - CSI Today
CSI in the News - CSI Today
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The Bolivar Commercial<br />
August 26, 2009<br />
OPINIONS<br />
Florida governor goes to bat for 17-year-old runaway<br />
Tuesday, Aug 25, 2009<br />
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, his office <strong>in</strong>undated with e-mails, recently stood up for a 17-year-old<br />
runaway who fled her Muslim family’s home <strong>in</strong> Ohio because she was afraid she might become <strong>the</strong><br />
victim of “an honor kill<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />
Rifqa Bary, a Christian convert whose family immigrated to <strong>the</strong> United States from Sri Lanka,<br />
fled to Florida after her parents, Mohamed and Aysha Bary, found out that she was baptized earlier<br />
this year without <strong>the</strong>ir knowledge. The parents reported her miss<strong>in</strong>g to police <strong>in</strong> Columbus, Ohio, on<br />
July 19. Us<strong>in</strong>g cell phone and computer records, police tracked <strong>the</strong> girl down weeks later.<br />
“Anyone who converts from Islam is considered an apostate, and apostasy is a capital crime” <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Muslim world, expla<strong>in</strong>ed Dr. Phyllis Chesler, an author and professor of psychology at <strong>the</strong><br />
Richmond College of City University <strong>in</strong> New York. Chesler said she believes Rifqa would be <strong>in</strong><br />
danger if she were sent back to her parents.<br />
In an tearful <strong>in</strong>terview with WFTV <strong>in</strong> Florida, <strong>the</strong> teenager said she expected to be killed if she<br />
was forced to return to Ohio. The <strong>in</strong>terview was picked up Friday morn<strong>in</strong>g by Fox <strong>News</strong>, which urged<br />
viewers to e-mail Gov. Crist and urge him not to extradite Rifqa back to Ohio.<br />
Rifqa referred <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terview to previous victims of so-called “honor kill<strong>in</strong>gs,” <strong>in</strong> which young<br />
Muslim women were murdered for br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g dishonor to <strong>the</strong>ir families.<br />
“I’m fight<strong>in</strong>g for my life. You guys don’t understand. … I want to worship Jesus freely. That’s<br />
what I want. I don’t want to die.”<br />
Crist quickly weighed <strong>in</strong>. At 9:10 a.m. Friday his office replied to <strong>the</strong> sender of an e-mail that<br />
“Due to <strong>the</strong> volume of e-mails sent to <strong>the</strong> governor, <strong>the</strong>re may be a delay <strong>in</strong> respond<strong>in</strong>g to your e-<br />
mail.”<br />
That was followed by ano<strong>the</strong>r e-mail, sent out from Crist’s office at 12:36 p.m. In it, Warren<br />
Davis, of <strong>the</strong> Office of Citizen Services, said that <strong>the</strong> governor is committed “to protect<strong>in</strong>g Ms. Bary’s<br />
health, safety and welfare,” and that Crist directed George Sheldon, secretary of <strong>the</strong> Florida<br />
Department of Children and Family Services, to petition <strong>the</strong> court to place Rifqa <strong>in</strong> a shelter under<br />
protective custody by <strong>the</strong> department.<br />
The court granted <strong>the</strong> request, send<strong>in</strong>g Rifqa to a licensed foster care home, Davis said.<br />
A third e-mail, which was also written by Davis, arrived at 6:42 p.m.<br />
“Governor Crist today expressed his gratefulness to Circuit Judge Daniel Dawson for his<br />
decision to grant Fathima Rifqa Bary <strong>the</strong> right to rema<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> Florida,” it said.<br />
“In this case, <strong>the</strong> first and only priority of Governor Crist’s adm<strong>in</strong>istration is <strong>the</strong> safety and wellbe<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of this child … Please be assured Governor Crist will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to fight to protect Ms. Rifqa<br />
Bary’s safety and well-be<strong>in</strong>g as this case moves forward.”<br />
Rifqa’s story is one of those “only <strong>in</strong> America” k<strong>in</strong>d of stories.<br />
Where else would a political leader of Crist’s status go to bat for a runaway And where else<br />
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