In my last entry I wrote about Fathima Rifqa Bary, a runaway Christian convert who is 17-years-old. As the case progresses between her family, who she claims are trying to kill her, and the state of Florida--which has the governor backing it--new stuff is being released daily. This particular piece, I found to be interesting.
An article was posted talking about a video fillmed by a minister before Fathima ran from home:
In a newly surfaced online video that was apparently filmed before she ran away from
her Ohio home and ended up in Florida, a passionate and vivacious Fathima Rifqa Bary
shares her testimony and talks about Jesus.
The nearly eight-minute video was posted on YouTube earlier this week. The video
details state it was filmed by "Minister Joe of P4CM in May of 2009 while Rifqa was
in Ohio."
A giddy Rifqa, then 16, starts her testimony: "Crazy how I found the Lord. Be prepared
to be blown away, but my parents are actually Muslim. They're radical, radical Muslims."
Great...so now this Fathima has resorted to not only running away from home, but also downtalking Islam. She uses "Muslim" as if it is something horrific, and the church played a big role in it. Way to go Suni parents. As always I will not take sides as to who is correct or wrong in this case--we can debate that for hours. However, it seems as if her Suni parents seem to be misguided themselves. I deduced they were Suni because Fathima's mother's name is Aisha.
Rifqa made national headlines when she ran away from her Columbus, Ohio, area home
and sought shelter with an Orlando family in July. The teen said she feared her Muslim
family would harm or kill her because of her conversion.
Her family has denied any wrongdoing, and investigators have not found evidence supporting
Rifqa's claims.
I'm glad someone is finally looking at this case from a rational perspective versus a clash of religious ideals.
In the video, Rifqa said she was abused. She said she didn't know who Jesus was.
How interesting. A Muslim girl not knowing who Prophet Jesus is, despite the prophet being one of the greatest and most honored prophets in Islam? Is it becoming obvious who's to blame?
"If you're listening to this .it's the best thing that can ever happen to you. If
there's a hole in your heart that yearns for something more it cannot be filled with
drinking or MTV or any of that stuff. Only Jesus can fill that whole in your heart,"
she said.
"Just come to Jesus and he will set you free."
I left some parts out because copy and pasting gets old. Here's what happened. She meets girl, girl meets Fathima. Fathima tells the girl she is Christian and gets invited to church. Fathima has an emotional breakdown.
Now, she believes that Jesus is the only way to God. This, my friends, is what happens when we take kids to Mosques and Islamic Centers without teaching them Islam. "Kids, we're going. Come on. Do homework later." With these parents though, it was probably more like "Come on or you're grounded." Look what they gained from it. Their daughter is now a runaway, supported by a conservative Christian governor. She is a daughter who lived with two pastors for two weeks before Florida took her into their care. She is a daughter who hates Islam, and what will the Suni people do? "We support Abu Bakr." Go on, keep supporting him, and watch your religion crumble. I am sitting here laughing as I write this and read the article. Only one thing goes through my mind: "I told you so."
For centuries you have contaminated, corrupted, slandered, mocked, and ridiculed your own religion. You started by murdering Prophet Muhammad's grandson. Next, you swung to radicalism by the introduction of Wahabiism by the British people. Why do you think Abdul Wahab couldn't corrupt Shia (the real Ithna Asri sect, mind you) and went instead with your corrupted faith? If this girl knew Ehlul Bait, if she knew Prophet Jesus existed in Islam, maybe she wouldn't be in the position she is in today. Maybe, just maybe, she would have tried to unite the three religions instead of tearing them apart. But no, her parents wouldn't let her. And that is why I make this statement:
Fathima, I am glad for you. I'm glad that you no longer support Abu Bakr and his drinking, and practicing of un-Islamic philosophy. Fathima, I am glad that you were able to find Prophet Jesus--indeed, he deserves to be honored, and I am ashamed that your parents took that away from you. Fathima, I am glad that you found completeness; indeed, I doubt your sect of Islam would have given it to you. Every article I read about you makes me so mad, not because of what happened to you, but because of what radical Christians are doing to steal the opertunity.
And here is my flip-side statement:
Fathima, I despise your actions; you have undone so many rights we have done. Had you been more mature, you would have handled this situation in a better way. Had you but understood, you would have seen things for what they really are. You are a mess of emotions, and your church took advantage of you. I doubt they mean any better for you than your parents did. You have not only upset the political balance, but have also upset the religious peace we were on our way to establishing. Thank you for nothing, and I have no idea why Florida had to be your place of choice to run away. Now, me, and the rest of the Shia Ithna Ashri Muslim community have to start explaining your situation--once again becoming defenders in a war that has been heightened by your deeds; a war that we are losing quickly, thanks to you.
Because of you, we find ourselves, once again, on the receiving end of radical anti-Islam comments; battles that were faught time and again, only to resurface because someone like you has to go parading in the streets. Thank you for making our jobs that much more difficult. I hope you are happy with yourself and the Global Revolution Church.
