But is Rifqa Bary free to practice her religion, Mr. President?

A follow up to the story from herehttp://brianleesblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/rifqa-bary-action-alert.html with a big hat tip to www.jihadwatch.org!!!

September 1, 2009
But is Rifqa Bary free to practice her religion, Mr. President?
Tonight at the Iftar Dinner in the State Dining Room at the White House, Barack Obama said this:
So on this occasion, we celebrate the Holy Month of Ramadan, and we also celebrate how much Muslims have enriched America and its culture -- in ways both large and small. And with us here tonight, we see just a small sample of those contributions. Let me share a few stories with you briefly.

Elsheba Khan's son, Kareem, made the ultimate sacrifice for his country when he lost his life in Iraq. Kareem joined the military as soon as he finished high school. He would go on to win the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, along with the admiration of his fellow soldiers. In describing her son, Elsheba said, "He always wanted to help any way that he could." Tonight, he's buried alongside thousands of heroes in Arlington National Cemetery. A crescent is carved into his grave, just as others bear the Christian cross or the Jewish star. These brave Americans are joined in death as they were in life -- by a common commitment to their country, and the values that we hold dear.

One of those values is the freedom to practice your religion -- a right that is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution. Nashala Hearn, who joins us from Muskogee, Oklahoma, took a stand for that right at an early age. When her school district told her that she couldn't wear the hijab, she protested that it was a part of her religion. The Department of Justice stood behind her, and she won her right to practice her faith. She even traveled to Washington to testify before Congress. Her words spoke to a tolerance that is far greater than mistrust -- when she first wore her headscarf to school, she said, "I received compliments from the other kids."

It would have been a really memorable Iftar if Barack Obama had brought out Rifqa Bary after Nashala Hearn, and had made a strong appeal to the assembled Muslim dignitaries to respect the freedom of conscience and discard the traditional Islamic death penalty for apostasy.
Indeed, that would have been an Iftar that would have lived forever in the memories of those who value human rights.
6:57 PM

Rifqa Bary Action Alert!

If you haven't been keeping up with this story, it is about a Muslim girl who converted to Christianity and is now under death threats. Of course this has happened before, but the difference is that this time it is occuring in the United States. h/t www.jihadwatch.org !

Rifqa Bary Action Alert!
Latest updates on the case here.
Please contact Gov. Crist and the FL DCF for them to ask the court to keep her in Florida state custody in our Rifqa-related posts.
Here's the contact info:
Governor Charlie Crist's office:
Phone: (850) 488-4441, (850) 488-7146
Fax: (850) 487-0801
Email: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com

Florida Department of Children and Family:
George H. Sheldon, Secretary
1317 Winewood Blvd.
Building 1, Room 202
Tallahassee, Florida
Phone: (850) 487-1111
Fax: (850) 922-2993

Rania, a Saudi convert, killed by father

I wanted to send this article which shows how hard it is for anyone who calls themselves a Christian in Saudi Arabia even in the 21st century as this is not ancient history or the middle ages but something that happened currently. I do hope you find this interesting.

Saudi man cuts daughter's tongue, burns her to death
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022201.php#commentsHer crime? Converting to Christianity. "Saudi man kills daughter for converting to Christianity," by Mariam Al Hakeem for Zawya, August 13:
Riyadh: A Saudi man working with the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice recently killed his daughter for converting to Christianity.
According to sources close to the victim, the religious police member had cut the tongue of the girl and burned her to death following a heated debate on religion. The death of the girl sent shockwaves and websites where the victim used to write with various nick names have allocated special space to mourn her, while some others closed temporarily in protest. According to the Saudi Al Ukhdoud news website, the victim wrote an article on the blog of which she was a member under the nickname "Rania" a few days before her murder.Interesting choice of names. Was she inspired by Jordan's "hip" queen Rania -- the woman devoted to proving to the world that, among other things, honor/apostate killings are totally alien to Islam? Wonder who knows Islam better: the Saudi father (and member of the Commission for "Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice"), or shoulder-exposing, Western educated Rania (the queen, not incinerated girl)?
"She wrote that her life became an ordeal after her family members grew suspicious about her after a religious discussion with them. She said that her brother found some Christian articles written by her as well as a cross sign on her computer screen. Since then he started to insult her and blamed the internet for pushing her to change her religion. The "Free Copts" website published a message which it received from a friend of the victim, revealing that the killer is in police custody and that he is being investigated for an honour related crime. Saudi religious scholars have frequently warned against the dangers of Christian internet websites and satellite TV channels which attract Muslim youngsters to change their religion.Odd how one never hears Christian societies warning Christians from watching Muslim programs lest they convert in droves. Indeed, willing conversion is usually the last thing those who begin honestly searching into Islam are ever in danger of.
They decreed that watching these channels or browsing these websites which call for conversion to Christianity by various means is against the teachings of Islam.True that. The Islamic prophet did decree, "Whoever leaves his religion, kill him."