Muslim girls converting to Christianity: what rights do her PARENTS have?

[sixpacktr]

I was watching the news last night and caught that there is a 16 or 17 year old girl that ran away from her Muslim parent's home to Florida because she converted to Christianity. Now the courts have gotten involved because the parents want her back and she doesn't want to go for fear of reprisal.

I told my wife that if the situation were reversed (Christian girl runs away and becomes Muslim) the outcry would be 'she 'belongs' to her folks, send her home'. Instead, it seems we are saying that she is an agent unto herself and almost begging the gov't to protect the girl. I fear that we have embraced a double standard in this.

What are your thoughts? Is this a double standard? Or is there even one? I personally believe that the courts need to stay out of it UNLESS there is a history of abuse (and there may be, I hadn't heard that there was however). This is a family matter, and she is accountable to her folks at least until she is 18. We depend too much on the courts to decide things that perhaps they should stay out of.

And yes, I know my participle is dangling...

[Elgama]

being a Brit she is 16 so for us parental rights are pretty much at an end - its her decision to make would be the same either way. There are worse things my teens could be in rebelling from the gospel than Muslim, at least they would be keeping the Law of Chastity and main part of the Word of Wisdom

-Charley

[HEthePrimate]

I've been following this story. The issue is that the girl claims her father threatened her life for converting to Christianity, and so she fears for her safety should she be forced to return home. Whether or not she's telling the truth, I don't know, but even in America, parents don't have the "right" to threaten their children's lives.

HEP

[talisyn]

Have there been instances (in modern times i.e. after 1900 A.D.) where former Christians have been killed by their families for converting to Islam? Have there been instances in modern times where former Muslims have been killed for converting to Christianity?

[sixpacktr]

Yes, I know it isn't a 'right' to threaten someone's life, even if it is your child, but from what I'm hearing (again, this is 3rd party news agencies) the parents just want her to come home, they've let her do a things that seem to suggest these aren't extremists.

But I guess my question boils down to whether the gov't has the right to do this? Would they do this if the situation were reversed? And do we want the gov't making these decisions? We may think that it is okay for others, but what if it were us? What if one of our sons/daughters decided they didn't want to be LDS anymore and wanted to be a Moonie, and the gov't said we have no say in the matter?

Just curious...

[Elgama]

still think by 16 its time to let them test their own wings

[HEthePrimate]

Yes, I know it isn't a 'right' to threaten someone's life, even if it is your child, but from what I'm hearing (again, this is 3rd party news agencies) the parents just want her to come home, they've let her do a things that seem to suggest these aren't extremists.

But I guess my question boils down to whether the gov't has the right to do this? Would they do this if the situation were reversed? And do we want the gov't making these decisions? We may think that it is okay for others, but what if it were us? What if one of our sons/daughters decided they didn't want to be LDS anymore and wanted to be a Moonie, and the gov't said we have no say in the matter?

Just curious...

Don't know if it's still the case, but when I was on my mission, anybody under 18 needed their parents' permission to get baptized. In fact, that's how it was with my mother--she was converted as a teen, but had to wait a few years because her parents didn't want her joining the Church. As soon as she was 18, she got baptized. In order to avoid situations like what that formerly Muslim girl is experiencing, it's probably wise that the LDS Church has this policy, eh?

As far as I'm concerned, the government has nothing to do with religion--I'm a strict separationist. But again, if parents threaten their child with violence should the child convert to another faith, yes, I want the government to intervene, just as it should with other forms of child abuse.

HEP

[Guest Believer_1829]

Yes, I know it isn't a 'right' to threaten someone's life, even if it is your child, but from what I'm hearing (again, this is 3rd party news agencies) the parents just want her to come home, they've let her do a things that seem to suggest these aren't extremists.

But I guess my question boils down to whether the gov't has the right to do this? Would they do this if the situation were reversed? And do we want the gov't making these decisions? We may think that it is okay for others, but what if it were us? What if one of our sons/daughters decided they didn't want to be LDS anymore and wanted to be a Moonie, and the gov't said we have no say in the matter?

Just curious...

By the time they are 16 or 17 it's their choice. If my kid wanted to becoming a Moonie, Hare Krishna, Amish, etc... I'd say, "More power to you, make sure and call every once and a while. I love you."

We each have to choose our own path.

Edited August 22, 2009 by Believer_1829

[Jbs2763]

By the time they are 16 or 17 it's their choice. If my kid wanted to becoming a Moonie, Hare Krishna, Amish, etc... I'd say, "More power to you, make sure and call every once and a while. I love you."

We each have to choose our own path.

If they go Amish..not very many phone calls i think

but the topic at hand

these "extreme muslims" need to get over themselves..there was a case in Texas recently where the dad killed his daughters for something far less signficant than switching religion...and the extremeists of any religion as well...people have free will, if they chose to follow a differnt path, as much as you would like to protect those you care about...you gotta let them dig their own grave

[Guest Believer_1829]

If they go Amish..not very many phone calls i think

Wired 7.01: Look Who's Talking

[Jbs2763]

i was trucking thru Lancaster CO PA one day..saw some lil amish chick on rollerblades...apparelnty those are allowed..but with the long dress..couldn't see the blades for a minute...so i see a teenage amish girl gracefully gliding over the pavement...

[Islander]

Have there been instances (in modern times i.e. after 1900 A.D.) where former Christians have been killed by their families for converting to Islam? Have there been instances in modern times where former Muslims have been killed for converting to Christianity?

Yes, the reprisal for converting to another religion can be death, specially if you are female. "Honor killings" are allowed under the al-hadith or oral traditions. An unbeliever is an enemy to Allah and those that rebel against him after having testified that Muhammad is a prophet in front of witnesses can also be killed.

Again, there is what the text actually says and there is what the Imans and the Mullah's interprete in it.

Convert from Islam to Christianity killed

Gulfnews: Saudi man kills daughter for converting to Christianity

[Maxel]

I know this is occuring in Britain, but if it were happening in America:

From a legal standpoint, I suppose the girl could file for underage emancipation. I don't see how she could be faulted for that, as long as she's acting in an upright fashion.

[Carl62]

Yes, the reprisal for converting to another religion can be death, specially if you are female. "Honor killings" are allowed under the al-hadith or oral traditions. An unbeliever is an enemy to Allah and those that rebel against him after having testified that Muhammad is a prophet in front of witnesses can also be killed.

Again, there is what the text actually says and there is what the Imans and the Mullah's interprete in it.

Convert from Islam to Christianity killed

Gulfnews: Saudi man kills daughter for converting to Christianity

And that's exactly what happened to those two teenage girls in Texas simply because they were dating non-Muslim boys in their school! The father drove them to a fast food parking lot in broad daylight and shot them both in the back seat, then just casually walked away (the 911 call of the one girl seeing her sister get shot right before she eventually got shot will run chills up and down anyones spine). Radical Muslims are very much in to this "honor killing" thing and that's what scares me for this 17 year old girl. Oh BTW, the father of those two teenage girls also told them that nothing would happen to them if they came back home and the mom believed it and was the one who went and picked them up from a friend's house!

[Carl62]

i was trucking thru Lancaster CO PA one day..saw some lil amish chick on rollerblades...apparelnty those are allowed..but with the long dress..couldn't see the blades for a minute...so i see a teenage amish girl gracefully gliding over the pavement...

If you know anything about the Amish, you know that the teenagers do waaaay more than just rollerblading during Rumspringa.

[dazed-and-confused]

yes...even the amish let their kids...and young adults, go a bit wild, to observe and experience other things, before they are asked to fully commit to the amish lifestyle and faith.

good for them

[hordak]

yes...even the amish let their kids...and young adults, go a bit wild, to observe and experience other things, before they are asked to fully commit to the amish lifestyle and faith.

good for them

I think the Mormons should take a page from that book:smokindevil:

[Moksha]

Have there been instances (in modern times i.e. after 1900 A.D.) where former Christians have been killed by their families for converting to Islam? Have there been instances in modern times where former Muslims have been killed for converting to Christianity?

I am unsure of the policy in Gods Wrath, Georgia, when a resident converts to Mormonism or Islam, but for the second half of your question, the answer is yes.