DCF Looking At Religious Runaway Conference Call (Rifqa Bary Prays, Talks Of Conversion from Islam)

WESH.Com Orlando ^ | 9/30/2009

[SeekAndFind]

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A conference call by an Ohio teenager, who ran away to Orlando after she says her father threatened to kill her over her religious conversion, has surfaced online, and it has the Department of Children and Families asking questions.

Nine minutes of the 17-minute call was posted to YouTube. In the call, Rifqa Bary can be heard praying – at times becoming unintelligible. The call begins with the teenager telling her story of converting to Christianity and fleeing from Ohio to Central Florida in July to escape her Muslim parents, saying her father made threats on her life if she did not denounce her belief in Jesus.

"Thank you all for the prayers of the saints," she says. "I'm not even supposed to be here. The Lord is simply good."

Then a man says, "Rifqa Bary, we are so pleased that you could join us and there are thousands on this phone call that want to pray with you and for you."

Rifqa left Ohio in August. It's still unclear when the phone call featuring her took place.

DCF officials said they are trying to figure out who set up the conference call.

"One of the concerns was if any of the adult parties who have been working with her to ensure her safety had promoted this or recommended that she participate in something like this," Carrie Hoeppner of DCF said.

Rifqa's attorney's office said they're aware of this conference call, but are not commenting.

[SeekAndFind]

Listen to the call here :

http://www.wesh.com/video/21151765/index.html

[SeekAndFind]

In the above link, Rifqa Bary tells of the story of her conversion from Islam to Christianity, and how her life is now in danger.

[CedarDave]

I support her in her quest to be free to make decisions about her religious life, but what I hear on this tape disturbs me.

The screaming and shouting out by her and others is not the type of “prayer” that I am familiar with. Almost sounds like a Jim Jones evangelical cult group. Hope I’m wrong.

[silverleaf]

so when does this child turn 18 and mnove beyond her father’s control?

[SeekAndFind]

so when does this child turn 18 and mnove beyond her father’s control?

She turns 18 in 10 months. However, the law does recognize the testimony of a child as young as 13 as legitimate. That she is 17 should be given HUGE consideration.

[mom4melody]

I suspect she is in a penecostal church - that’s normal there. I would rather she found the true God loudly then silenced by the false god of hell.