Baalbek Archbishop Hands Muslim Girl who Converted to Christianity Back to Her Family
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Archbishop of Baalbek-Deir al-Ahmar Semaan Atallah handed over on Monday Banin Qataya back to her parents after she had left their home two weeks ago.
Qataya, who had converted to Christianity from Islam three years ago, had fled her home following psychological and physical abuse from her father as a result of her conversion, said Semaan.
He revealed that she had left her home “out of her own freewill.”
She was handed over to her parents at Hizbullah official Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek’s office.
Semaan said: “Qataya left her home and her parents had the right to search for her.”
“We had the duty to help to find out what she wants,” he continued.
“My hand is extended to Sheikh Yazbek to cooperate in order to demonstrate Lebanon’s message of coexistence in the region,” he stressed.
For his part, Yazbek said: “This issue should be dealt with in an open heart and mind.”
The pastor of Baalbek’s Our Lady of Good Help Church, Father Walid Gharious, aka Father Elias Maroun Gharious, was recently kidnapped for baptizing the girl.
Her father Sheikh Ahmed Qataya had vowed to LBC television on Thursday that he will recover his daughter “even if it will create a civil war in Lebanon.”
On May 7, unknown individuals kidnapped Father Walid Gharious on the Baalbek road near the intersection leading to the town of al-Ansar.
He was released later that day.
LBC had said that Gharious was handed over to Yazbek following his release.
14 May 2012, 17:00
13
This is really a shame. I am a christian and if one of my kids wants to convert to islam I would speak to him/her and try to convince as much as I can; but if she/he insists on conversion I would do nothing other than respect their wishes. Nowadays, there's millions of people who become atheists after having been in a religion. The time of imposition is gone for good. A person can even chose any course he wants notwithstanding. we in Lebanon are so much behind in our actions. The father wants to make a civil war to restor his daughter! Is he in his right mind. I have known many Christians who converted to islam and were paradied on islamic TV. Is this right and the reverse is wrong?
17 May 2012, 05:07
00
i am related to her and my mom is trying to get her back hier with us in america the last time we talked with her is win she said she is still getting abused by her father evry single day. her father said the cristion are doin majic on her but she dit it on her own free will. i am a lebenese i was born in beruit.
14 May 2012, 17:02
24
he will recover his daughter even if it will create a civil war in Lebanon.
welcome to the future of Lebanon under ashrafal nass
why hasn't anyone been arrested for the kidnapping of Father Walid Gharious they say "unknown individuals" but everyone knows who they are and who is protecting them, right?
14 May 2012, 17:45
03
Welcome to the Middle Ages!
Where is the Lebanese government to stop:
-The kidnapping of religious men
-The abuse of a young woman
-Threats of using physical force
-Incitement to civil and sectarian strife
Clearly the Lebanese authorities are sleeping at the wheel
14 May 2012, 17:56
33
She is neither a muslim girl or Shiite woman. She is a believer and follower of the light. May the light of the Spirit in her keep her strong and overwhelm her with His love so she will be able to handle whatever comes her way.
14 May 2012, 17:59
42
She is a believer and follower of the light. May the spirit fill her with His love so she can handle whatever will comes her way.
14 May 2012, 18:01
32
she is a believer and follower of the light. May the Spirit fill her with His love and strength so she can handle whatever may come her way.
14 May 2012, 18:39
13
Why not hand her over to the Lebanese government??? Hizb is not the law and state?
14 May 2012, 19:50
34
We are Lebanese will be happy to adopt this little girl, bring her to Canada and give her a free life
14 May 2012, 20:05
05
why hand her over at all? if she is an adult she is free to do whatever she wants and stay-go wherever she pleases... and ok why in the heck arent the police investigating with her parents about the abusing? ow sorry cose he is with hizballa and they can do whatever they want...
14 May 2012, 21:00
10
No doubt she will be abused even more than before. She has found the truth and she will be brutalised for it. She should leave the house and never return.
14 May 2012, 21:20
10
Really a shame! As a Muslim I would do what trueself does, talk to her and try to convince her but then agree and support her decision. We are in a 7th world country not 3rd world....
14 May 2012, 21:35
01
I agreee with u why was she physically and.phsycologically abused in the first place.by her father?because she converted,handing her over was a big mistake anybody ask her if she wanted to.go.back?there is such a thing called free will!power of speech ,democracy self respect and appreciation something that woman yearns for ,she will be her own hostage under the shadow of her family god give her strength!!!!
14 May 2012, 21:47
06
The priest's kidnapper were not unknown. A 23 years old girl has the right to do whatever she wishes in a true free country , not in Lebanon.
This girl is a symbol of cultural and religious oppressions inflicted on many especially women. Till women revolt none of this will change.
14 May 2012, 22:20
15
@FT; And these are the people that you support, are they making you proud yet?
14 May 2012, 22:33
20
Every Muslim convertor to Christianity will be victorious and will grant his way to heaven before any christian. This the culture of corruption to hand over an adult person against his will and guess what she will be found killed by her parents over her change to get out of the darkness of Islam into Christianity away from heat of Judeasim. Christianity is the real balance of dream comes true.
15 May 2012, 15:51
00
Muhamada aka pierre or jean or francois or any other non-suitable name you maronites like to use. There is absolutely no balanace nor dream about christianity. It is a false religion similar to hinduism. It was never meant to be. The prophet Issa, Messias, son of mary was a Muslim and he was only sent as a prophet to the israelite tribe temporarly until the final prophet Muhammad was sent to all of mankind, unlike previous prophets who were sent only to their respective people. On the day of judgement, Prophet Issa will deny all the lies you have lied about him and he will not accept you as his followers. So wake up before its too late.
14 May 2012, 23:35
20
Unbelievable that you can report this story without hinting at the perversion of justice and humanity that it represents. This (and similar stories) illustrate the depth of Islamic arrogance and ...chutzpah .
15 May 2012, 02:17
21
I have nothing against muslim people, cos they happen to be born in the muslim religion. But, i have no respect for a religion that incites killing an infidfel in order to enter heaven; a religion that doesnt mention the word love not even once in the koran, a religious taht doesnt preach love and forgiveness.
15 May 2012, 15:58
10
Eli, have you ever read the quran? No you havent, you have only browsed anti-muslim sites and it is from there that you repeat lies. The Quran and islam does not say killing an infidel in order to get in to heaven. This is a huge lie, does jesus allow you to lie like this? How can you claim Islam doesnt preach love and forgiveness when we are even recommended to forgive our enemy, it says so in the quran, so again i ask, why are you lying? And if you are so filled with love, then why are you insulting 1,5 billion muslims with your lies? Why are you lying? Is this the love that christianity preaches????? This is hypocrisy and christians really need to open your bible and read it once and a while, dont just quote the well known propaganda that christians have quoted, open the actual bible and read every word, you will be shocked at what you find. Violence, pornography, evil among other things.
15 May 2012, 15:58
10
In the new testament, even children are to be put to death if their mother was an adulterer. This contradicts your whole "love and forgiveness" propaganda you spread. Read your bible before even thinking about speaking badly about the words of God in the quran which has not been altered by men unlike your bible.
15 May 2012, 04:15
13
This is a true shame. This girl will be killed by her family in an "honor killing" that will go unpunished by the Hezbollah state. She is already a martyr and was delivered up to her martyrdom by no less than the Christian Archbishop of Baalbek. Shame on them all.
I have a first cousin whose daughter converted from Catholicism to Islam. We did not kill her or kidnap the Sheikh, or threaten civil war. Religion cannot be forced on a person, it must be voluntarily accepted in their heart, otherwise, it is not religion but imprisonment and death. We pray for our cousin's daughter and now for this young woman. But more, for the amoral archbishop of Baalbek who offered up the soul of this human being for some political reason.
15 May 2012, 05:24
02
Her father Sheikh Civil war should have been thrown in Jail and arrested for committing a kidnapping and exercising anything but religious.
Time to teach these farm boys to fear the law. I love it when the justice department is unable to add 2+2 and says unknown individuals meanwhile we are so very smart to uncover the zionist infiltrators inside the hezb. Bottom line is outlaws and state within a state. We need a major system cleanup.
15 May 2012, 07:28
10
God Bless America for giving us our civil liberties, liberties that the arabs will never be able to deliver however they will risk their lives to try and fetch such countries.
Maronites must forever rule such a country or it will never even have the chance to even prosper.
15 May 2012, 09:27
01
lebanease can not live with out freedom,and no one can put pressure on her to be a muslim or not.does lebanon free country!? where is the human right's.ok its simple she convinced that what she is doing so where is the problem .
15 May 2012, 09:53
11
Naharnet in most other countries you would be shamed. the title is mis leading.
She is a "Former Muslim woman that converted to christianity" or "Former Muslim turned Christian Convert" is the correct english way of putting it. (for the editor)
15 May 2012, 13:18
02
I only have a few word for the girl's father quoted from South Africa's liberation hero Steve Biko, when in upon receiving his imprisonment sentence in court in front of the white apartheid judge he said, " You may jail my body, but you can never jail my soul". The girl chose to convert to Christianity freely, now that she is back to her parents' prison home, her quest and resolve will only harden. Even the lions of the Romans could not stop the pagans from converting to Christianity. Then to her father will I ask, "is the God we follow any different from the one you follow?". Unless he has proofs of otherwise will I accept to stand corrected.
15 May 2012, 14:12
00
c'est une vraie honte qu'un eveque aie appelé le hezbollah pour sauver le pretre, ainsi qu inacceptable que de consigner la fille à ses parents dans le siege du hezbollah. c'est reconnaitre l'autorité des milices et aider à detruire l'autorité de l'etat.
15 May 2012, 20:13
00
Most people don't know that Christianity teaches to worship our heavenly Father who is the Father of all creation in whatever walk of life they are. Jesus Christ reflected in His life the absolute beauty and love of our heavenly Father. Even if you cannot believe that Christ is the Son of God, as this requires a revelation from above by the Holy Spirit not by man or any holy book, you cannot but be overwhelmed by Him as the absolute image of the love of God. Whether you are Christian or not, I tell you one thing for sure:
you can never be Jesus Christ. Christ is unique. He is the mirror that reflects your lack of love and forgiveness. When contemplating the life and words
of Jesus in the Gospels, you realize that you are nothing but a dead monster who needs to be born again by the Spirit to become a lovely spiritual child of God. Open your heart to God and ask Him to reveal himself to you in the face of Christ. We worship God in the name of Jesus.
01 February 2013, 16:56
01
Islam is known for intolerance. Those who convert in from Islam in northern Nigeria flee for their lives because they are threatened with death. Killing 'infidels' to Muslims is as easy as killing chickens
16 February 2013, 09:20
00
intolerance, insure, full of angers, envies and evil, even their people can not tolerate with their Islamist govn.,bad tree will bear bad fruits
