A teenager who converted to Christianity and ran away from her Muslim parents fearing an “honour killing” has been allowed to stay in foster care, a court has ruled.
Watch a CBN report on the case
American Rifqa Bary ran away from her parents in July because she said her father would kill her for converting to Christianity. He denies the allegations.
There have been several court battles over her case.
This latest ruling means the teen will be allowed to stay in foster care until she is 18.
Miss Bary and her parents say they will attempt to work at their problems through counselling.
“Rifqa and her parents love and respect each other”, a statement agreed by the two parties read.
The family, who are originally from Sri Lanka, emigrated to the USA in 2000 seeking medical treatment for Rifqa.
Back in August Miss Bary spoke to an American TV station about her fear of being murdered for her conversion to Christianity.
She said: “In 150 generations in family, no one has known Jesus. I am the first – imagine the honour in killing me.”
She claimed that her father “would kill me or send me back to Sri Lanka” where, she said, “they have asylums where they put people like me.”
A law enforcement investigation found no credible threats against her, but an expert on ‘honour killings’, Dr Phyllis Chesler, has claimed that such killings are not understood by most Americans, including those in law enforcement.
In August Dr Chesler, professor of psychology at City University of New York, said: “Anyone who converts from Islam is considered an apostate, and apostasy is a capital crime”.
Dr Chesler added: “Muslim girls and women are killed for far less.”