Video: Global Revolution Church 'honor killing' story could become a political bombshell

Rifqa Bary's family answers questions with press.  AP Photo Jay Laprete

A Florida judge will eventually hear the case of one Rifqa Bary, a 17-year-old Christian convert who fled her Muslim parents in Ohio to seek shelter with the Global Revolution Church in Florida.  The judge must decide if Rifqa will be forced to return to her parents despite her claim that her parents will murder her in an Islamic "honor killing."  Honor killings occur predominantly in Muslim countries though the practice is not confined to only to only the religion of Islam.  Needless to say many Muslims disagree with the practice but some more extreme factions have condoned honor killings.

The story of Rifqa Bary is full of interesting and strange details.  Rifqa's family moved to the United States form Sri Lanka in part to get Rafqi medical care for an eye condition.  Eventually Rifqa converted to Christianity and even was baptized.  Rifqa claims she kept her Christian conversion a secret and even went as far as to sneak out of her house to attend prayer meetings.  When Rifqa's parents did discover her conversion she claims her father threatened her with an honor killing.  Rifqa then went to the pastors of the Global Revolution Church whom she met on a Facebook prayer meeting.  Things get even more interesting as the pastors, Beverly and Blake Lorenz, failed to report Rifqa's stay with them and Rifqa's whereabouts were only found after Ohio police tracked them down through phone records.  Now Rifqa is attempting to avoid being sent back to her parents through a Florida court.

Needless to say I do not envy the judge in this case.  His position is much the same as that of the judge in the Elian Gonzalez case in that the popular decision would be to allow Rafqi to stay in Florida but the law actually favors the parents in this case and if the judge enforces such laws the most likely effect will be Rifqa being sent back to Ohio.  Once in Ohio Rifqa would be returned to her parents unless Ohio officials believed her well-being was legitimately threatened by her parents.

This story has all the elements of a political bombshell which could be exploited by various interest groups.  This story could make the Elian Gonzalez and Terry Schiavo controversies seem mild.  Some Christian groups are sure to protest any order making Rifqa return to her parents.  If the Global Revolution Church refuses to cooperate with authorities and holds Rifqa, a scenario already previewed by the pastor, it could bring about a Waco-like standoff with authorities.  Finally, Islamic interest groups are sure to come to the family's defense and protest any deprivation of the parental rights in the case.  If Islamic countries take an interest in the case global politics could also become part of the story. 

Granted there are a lot of "coulds" outlined in the above hypothetical.  However, signs are emerging that many of these conditions are already coming to fruition.  Some organizations are already preparing for a media blitz on the story.  People are already taking sides and evoking emotion.  Some commentators have said Rifqa's fears are legitimate and that sending her back would mean certain death.  Others in defense of the family have said Rifqa's claims can not be substantiated and that she could have been "brainwashed" by radical Christians at the Global Revolution Church.

Some of these arguments can be seen below in Fox News coverage of the story.  Notice how the host Megyn Kelly claims some 5,000 honor killings have already taken place in America only to take back her claim at the end of the clip.  Also take note of the divergence of views with one commentator calling the child a spoiled teenager while the other commentator makes the assumption that all Muslims believe in honor killings.