Merry Christmas Rifqa!!!

Yesterday, a judge in Columbus, Ohio, ruled that Rifqa Bary may indeed receive third-party correspondence through her attorney.

According to Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs, yesterday's proceedings went 2/3 for Rifqa's rights to practice her faith without fear.

The first issue was one of the parents' CAIR attorney and the petition to have Rifqa labeled 'unruly'. The attorney wanted to amend the petition to have the date changed. The example of Rifqa's 'unruliness' cited by her parents fell on a date when she was in Florida seeking protection. So the attorney wanted to change the date. The judge decided to table this issue until January.

The first victory for Rifqa came when the judge denied the motion from Rifqa's parents to force her into mediation so as to make sure Rifqa understood exactly what islam professes. Her attorney, Kort Gatterdam, argued that after living in the household for 17 years, Rifqa already understood islam and her parents' intentions towards her. The judge agreed.

Rifqa also won the right to continue receiving Christmas cards and other words of encouragement from people around the world through her attorney. The CAIR attorney representing the parents withdrew his earlier petition to have correspondence stopped. Good thing because it appears the judge was set to deny it anyway. To send Rifqa warm wishes, the address is:

Rifqa Bary
c/o Angela Lloyd
255C Drinko Hall
55 West 12'th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210

I would like to wish Rifqa a most blessed Christmas. Also in order is a most warm wish for my blogging pals and readers to also have a great Christmas. Pamela Geller also gets my most sincere thanks for standing up for Rifqa so that she may enjoy the blessed solemnity of celebrating the birth of Jesus.

I'm going to leave everyone with what has become one of my favorite Christmas songs. May the love of God be with each of you in this most wonderful season. I pray that God continues to bless me with each of you. -- blackandgoldfan

Rifqa Bary Ordered Back to Ohio

A judge in Florida has determined that Ohio holds jurisdiction over the Rifqa Bary case and has ordered that the teenager be sent back to her parents in Ohio.

Rifqa's story first came to light through Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs. Geller has been a champion of women who have endured torture or been slaughtered in "honor killings" from their Muslim husbands. Not one to back away from her stance on the issue, she got the word out about Rifqa's plight.

Rifqa Bary ran away from home in Ohio in July of this year for fear of being killed by her Muslim family for converting to Christianity. Since then, a legal battle had ensued in Florida as to whether the teen should be sent back to Columbus, Ohio. Rifqa maintains that, at the very least, she will either be sent back to her family's native Sri Lanka and institutionalized or, in the worst case scenario, killed to protect family honor because she is an apostate of Islam. Bary has begged for her life and truly believes that her fate is sealed should she return to her parents.

While the transfer of custody is not immediate, it could happen within a week or by October 23, when the judge has ordered that immigration status be proven and that Rifqa be allowed to continue her virtual schooling through the Florida school she now gets her education from, receiving credit in Ohio. Once these conditions are met, she goes back.

It is expected that Rifqa will be placed in foster care in Ohio when she returns, and both her and her parents are to undergo psychiatric evaluations.

My only comment on this story? Should one hair on her head be harmed by her family or their actions, Judge Daniel Dawson, Governor Charlie Crist, and those who fought to get her back to Ohio will be just as guilty as those who carry out any act of violence directed at Rifqa for her apostasy.

Please continue to pray for this beautiful girl. I have a sinking feeling that she's going to need it.

Pamela Geller Speaks

Pamela Geller, of the website Atlas Shrugs, is one gutsy lady. Pamela has extensively covered the story of Rifqa Bary, the young Christian girl who fled her Ohio home for fear of being killed in an Islamic "honor killing" by her family.

In this video, Pamela does an excellent job of laying it all out on the table. The common sense she speaks is so refreshing in a world headed for chaos. As I watched, I found myself agreeing with so much of what she says that there is nothing I can add.

Though a little over ten minutes long, this video will brighten your day.