Fla. Judge May Return Muslim Teen Runaway to Family

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 21, 2009 7:00 AM CDT
Fla. Judge May Return Muslim Teen Runaway to Family
Mohamed Bary, right, his wife Aysha, center, and their son Rilvan answer questions about their daughter Rifqa during an interview Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio.   (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

An Orlando judge will hear arguments today in the case of Rafqa Bary, a 17-year-old ethnic Sri Lankan who ran away from her Muslim home because she feared her family would punish her for converting to Christianity. The judge will decide whether she should remain in state custody in Florida or be returned to her family’s Ohio home, the AP reports. Police traced her to a Florida reverend she met in a Facebook prayer group.
(More runaway stories.)

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