Girl’s father denounces act. She is now in Lebanon and refuses to return and abandon Christianity. Two colleagues charged, one Saudi and one Lebanese.

Riyadh (AsiaNews) - Two men have been arrested in the Saudi Gulf city Al-Khobar, on charges of "forcible conversion" of a girl to Christianity. They are guilty of giving her books on religion and inviting her to follow a chat room about religious matters.

According to Al-Eqtisadiya newspaper the girl's father laid charges against the two men, one Saudi and one Lebanese, after he failed to convince the young woman to return home from Lebanon and abandon her new faith.

According to the local Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution (BIP), the story dates back to when the young woman, who works in a bank, struck up a friendship first with her Saudi colleague and then the other Lebanese colleague. The three would meet up from time to time, the girl fell in love with the young Lebanese who gave her books and invited her to follow a religious chat room.

In the complaint, the father says that man influenced her, inspiring misconceptions about Islam and had "shaken her convictions." He claims that the girl also left the country illegally. Under Saudi law, in fact, a woman can not have a passport without the permission of her "guardian" that is, father, husband or brother.

The girl, speaking from Lebanon where she currently is, defends her new faith and says that the Church is her only home.

 

 

 

• saudi
• arabia
• islam
• christianity
• conversion
• arrest
• women's
• rights
• religious
• freedom