As 18th birthday nears, girl who fled Ohio after Christian conversion rejects family reunion

Teenage Christian convert rejects family reunion

COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio judge will hear arguments from a Christian convert who says a reunion with her Muslim parents is impossible before her 18th birthday next week.

At a hearing Tuesday, Rifqa Bary (RIHF’-kuh BAYR’-ee) also is expected to ask a juvenile court judge in Columbus for special immigration status to let her stay in the country.

The teenager is an undocumented immigrant from Sri Lanka who has said she needs the status to continue medical treatment for uterine cancer.

But Bary’s parents allege the girl considers herself healed and is refusing chemotherapy after visiting a faith healer last month.

Bary fled Ohio alleging she could be hurt or killed for her religious conversion. Her parents deny she would have been harmed.