Aysha Bary, aka Risana Bary, is the wife of Mohamed Bary and the mother of Rifqa as well as two sons.
She runs a business sewing bridal veils in her home.
But along with her husband she filed papers with the Florida court declaring herself to be indigent.
The court appointed attorney Craig McCarthy to represent Mrs. Bary while her daughter’s case is being considered in Florida.
During the August 21st hearing to determine jurisdiction of her daughter’s case, Mrs. Bary looked especially anxious and confused by the proceedings.
Her attorney informed the court that Mrs. Bary was willing to "voluntarily" allow her daughter to be placed in foster care in Ohio.
The problem with this offer is since the consent is voluntary, it can be withdrawn at any time.
She made a statement to the court in which she cried out, "I have my two sons, but I need my daughter back!"
Although her daughter professed her love for her parents in court, Rifqa still refuses to visit with them.
The father of Rifqa Bary is a jewler/businessman from Sri Lanka.
He brought the family to the U.S. in 2000, apparently for the purpose of seeking medical treatment for Rifqa, who suffered from an eye injury.
The family first settled in Queens, NY, and Bary established himself as a jeweler, importing gems from Sri Lanka.
Bary claims his luggage was lost on a business trip after 9ᆟ, and $400,000 in gems went missing with it. This claim of loss is unsubstantiated as of yet.
In 2004 Bary moved the family to the Columbus, Ohio area.
His business, Bary Gems, remained under license in the State of New York.
Bary eventually became affiliated with the Noor Islamic Cultural Center (NICC), a mosque with very strong ties to radical Islam (see NICC).
In July of 2009, as tensions escalated over Rifqa’s conversion to Christianity, Bary began dissolving his business, the dissolution being completed on July 29 - ten days after Rifqa fled her home.
Bary filed papers with the Florida court declaring himself and his wife, Aysha, to be indigent.
Mohamed Bary is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
On August 21 Orlando Judge Daniel Dawson ordered Bary to produce the family’s visa and passport documentation by the time of the September 3rd hearing scheduled.
Bary was represented by a court-appointed attorney. It is possible his visa has expired and he is residing in the U.S. illegally.
Great pressure has been put upon Governor Charlie Crist to intervene on Rifqa’s behalf.
Hundreds of emails have been sent to his office urging him to keep her in Florida.
The Governor’s office released this email statement:
Thank you for contacting Governor Charlie Crist. The Governor asked that I respond on his behalf.
Governor Crist today expressed his gratefulness to Circuit Judge Daniel Dawson for his decision to grant Fathima Rifqa Bary the right to remain in Florida.
In this case, the first and only priority of Governor Crist's administration is the safety and wellbeing of this child.
The Governor also expressed gratitude for the good work of Department of Children and Families Secretary George Sheldon and his General Counsel, Rob Wheeler, for personally advocating the administration’s position by attending today’s hearing.
Please be assured Governor Crist will continue to fight to protect Ms. Rifqa Bary’s safety and wellbeing as this case moves forward.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact Governor Crist.
Sincerely,
Warren Davis
Office of Citizen Services.
Secretary of Florida's Department of Children & Families, the agency now in charge of her safekeeping.
Practicing law in Florida since 1999, Barbara’s private law practice concentrates on bankruptcy, tax and personal injury in the Orlando, FL area. She is currently Mohamed Bary’s court-appointed attorney.
Judge Dawson has been a FL Circuit Judge since 1991.
Current Judicial Assignment: Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Juvenile, serving Orange & Osceola Counties.
- Member, Florida Bar Juvenile Rules Committee.
- Member, Governor's Child Abuse Prevention and Permanency Advisory Council.
- Member, Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice.
- Judge Dawson is currently assigned to the Rifqa Bary case.
Pastor Blake and Beverly Lorenz are a husband and wife team who lead the Global Revolution Church , a non-denominational Evangelical church based in Orlando, Florida.
The couple attracted national attention in early August, 2009 when it became known through television and YouTube interviews they had given shelter to Rifqa Bary, a missing teen from Ohio.
Rifqa met the Lorenzes through an interactive prayer group on Facebook.
They hid the frightened teen for over a week, while Florida’s Department of Children and Families was contacted and Rifqa was ultimately placed with a DCF-approved foster family.
Blake and Beverly were out of town with their own family at the time of the August 21st jurisdiction hearing in Rifqa’s case.
Nevertheless, they have been under intense media scrutiny, ridiculed publicly for their beliefs, and accused of crimes such as kidnapping and child endangerment.
John Stemberger is President and General Counsel of the Florida Family Policy Council. He is an AV Rated Orlando attorney who has worked in the pro-family, pro-life movement for over 20 years.
He was closely involved with the Terri Schiavo case, and is currently representing Rifqa Bary privately and pro-bono.
He believes the threat to Rifqa does not come only from her family, but from the broader radical Muslim community of Columbus, Ohio as well. In a petition he filed with the Juvenile Court for the August 21st hearing, Stemberger stated:
"The child is in imminent threat of harm not only from her parents but also from the extreme radical Muslim community in her hometown of Columbus."
Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner issued this statement on the August 21 court ruling:
"I appreciate the efforts of Secretary Sheldon and the Department of Children and Families, Attorney General Bill McCollum, and the countless advocates who have worked tirelessly to put the safety of Rifqa Bary first. The court’s decision and the forthcoming involvement of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement - facilitated by the Attorney General - to investigate this young girl’s safety if she is forced to return to Ohio may save her from an unthinkable fate."
"No one, child or adult, should have to fear for their lives because of their religious choices, and I am hopeful that Rifqa’s best interests will be safeguarded as this process moves forward. I will continue my communications with General McCollum and Secretary Sheldon, and will be closely monitoring the ongoing investigation and developments in this matter until there is a final resolution that guarantees the permanent safety of this young girl."
Former Speaker of the Florida House, Rubio is currently running for the U.S. Senate in 2010.
His main opponent is Florida Governor, Charlie Crist. Rubio put out this statement of support for Rifqa Bary on August 21, 2009:
"America has a rich tradition of religious freedom that is enshrined in our First Amendment. Today in Florida, this freedom could be at stake as a court considers the case of 17 year-old Rifqa Bary.
This young woman fled from Ohio to Florida, fearing she would be killed for converting from Islam to Christianity. As the court weighs the facts of this case, I hope it will take her expressed fears seriously and not rush to an irreversible decision that may ultimately endanger her.
It is imperative that state officials use every legal tool at their disposal to properly evaluate Rifqa's best interests. Florida has a responsibility not only to protect her innocent life, but also to defend her sacred right to worship freely."
Practicing law in Florida since 1995, Craig currently concentrates his private law practice to juvenile issues of abuse, neglect, and abandoned children in the Orlando, FL area.
He is currently Aysha Bary’s court-appointed attorney.
Practicing law in Florida since 2004, Shayan Elahi is the new Orlando attorney for Mohammed Bary.
Rifqa is an Ohio girl who ran away to Orlando because she said her family threatened to kill her for converting to Christianity.
Rifqa Bary, 17, said she was threatened by her family because she converted from Islam to Christianity.