 |
| Rifqa Bary Protected – For Now Dear Harold, On Friday, the judge presiding over the case regarding Rifqa Bary’s request not to be returned to her parents, ruled that there was sufficient evidence to raise concerns about Rifqa’s safety. As a result, the judge ruled that Rifqa should stay in Florida for the time being, and scheduled a follow-up hearing for September 3rd. Governor Charlie Crist and House Majority Leader Adam Hasner both weighed in on behalf of Rifqa. Governor Crist issued a press release stating that he had instructed the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to petition the judge to have Rifqa stay in Florida pending a thorough investigation. Did the hundreds and hundreds of emails and phone calls to Governor Crist’s office from ACT! for America Florida members have an impact on the Governor’s decision? We can’t know for sure, but we believe it’s reasonable to assume that such an outpouring of grassroots support and concern at the very least put the issue front and center in the Governor’s office. This wouldn’t have happened without our grassroots response. And whenever the public profile of an issue like this is increased, elected officials naturally pay more attention to them. Who knows what would have happened in this case if there had been no outcry from the public, which has helped to generate a great deal of media attention as well. The DCF has stated there are disconcerting inconsistencies in the statements given by Rifqa’s family, and has asked for a law enforcement investigation. What’s more, the “Atlas Shrugs” website has uncovered what may be another “inconsistency” on the part of Rifqa’s parents. Mohammed and Aysha Bary were provided court-appointed attorneys, paid for by the taxpayers, as a result of their testimony that they were indigent and could not afford to pay an attorney. Yet as “Atlas Shrugs” has uncovered, Mohammed Bary has stated his business earns more than $237,000 per year. If it turns out that Mr. Bary and his wife did not tell the truth about their financial status, this begs an obvious question: If they were willing to mislead authorities about their financial status, should they be believed when they allege that Rifqa is not telling the truth and is not in danger? Florida law enforcement and child protection authorities would do well to investigate this case very, very carefully, and not simply take at face value what Rifqa’s family says. As we noted last week, we are convinced that Florida authorities should err on the side of believing Rifqa’s assertions that her life is in danger if she is returned to her family.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACT for America P.O. Box 12765 Pensacola, FL 32591 www.actforamerica.org |
Posts
