Rifqa Bary is a 17-year-old girl whose family immigrated here from Sri Lanka in 2000. Rifqa's family is Muslim, and earlier this year, Rifqa was baptized as a Christian. She fled from Ohio to Florida after her parents threatened to kill her, and is now living with foster parents. She is living with the reverend of the Global Revolution Church.Rifqa used to sneak out of the house to attend prayer services and she would hide her Bible from her family. She said her brother knew about her faith and didn’t tell her father because he knows what would happen to her.Rifqa says she fears for her life and if she is forced to return home, she will be killed. "If I had stayed in Ohio, I wouldn't be alive," Rifqa said. "In 150 generations in family, no one has known Jesus. I am the first — imagine the honor in killing me." She also said that they love Allah more than her, so they have to kill her. This is called an honor killing. She also says she just wants to worship Jesus freely, and she doesn’t want to die.
When her father was asked by Fox News, he said that he will not kill his daughter and just wants her to come back home. Her mother is also worried for her safety. Also, there has been an allegation of Rifqa’s father beating her after he found out about her conversion to Christianity, but he has denied them.A psychiatrist has said that if Rifqa is forced to return home, she should be worried about her safety. She will be threatened, isolated, and beaten by members of the community. Also, Rifqa has shamed her family from public exposure and escaping from them. Muslim women are killed for doing way less.The Florida Governor has gotten involved in this story, as well. The state has allowed Rifqa to stay in Florida until further notice. I think this is a great decision because she fears for her life. Florida’s governor says that the state will continue to fight for Rifqa’s safety and well-being in the future.I think that this is a very sad story. This girl is fighting for her life because she has chosen to be a Christian. I think she is a very brave girl for converting when she knows what could possibly happen to her because her parents love their god more than her. There have been two honor killings in the past ten years, so it proves that honor killings happen because that’s what the Koran, the Muslim bible, says. I hope that she will be able to stay with her foster parents and will be able to worship Jesus freely, the only thing she wants.Sarah Konz
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