CHRISTIANS IN JORDAN OPPRESSED BY ISLAMIC SHARIA LAW
UPDATED BELOW
FINALLY!! : Jordanian Christian Mom Wins Child Custody Battle with Muslim Uncle
By Allie Martin and Jenni Parker
April 19, 2005
(AgapePress) - More than a decade of prayer and persistence have paid off for a Christian widow from Jordan who only recently was awarded custody of her children.
Eleven years ago Siham Qandah's husband lost his life while serving as a soldier in the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Kosovo. Soon afterward, when she tried to apply for orphan benefits for her 15-year-old son, Fadi, and her 16-year-old daughter, Rawan, the widow made an alarming discovery.
Although Qandah and her family were Christians, her husband's brother -- Al-Muhtadi, who had converted to Islam as a teen -- had submitted a forged document to the authorities claiming his brother had secretly converted back to Islam before his death. Under Islamic law, the unsigned "conversion certificate" was uncontestable and meant the court could automatically declare Qandah's son and daughter to be Muslims.
That declaration meant that the children's financial matters had to be overseen by a Muslim, and their uncle was eager to volunteer. Al-Muhtadi also engaged Qandah in a seven-year court battle to take custody of his minor niece and nephew in order to raise them as Muslims.
Several times during the past three years, the Christian mother was forced into hiding to avoid possible arrest and separation from her children. Meanwhile, over the years the uncle began pocketing some of Fadi and Rawan's monthly benefits, and later he withdrew nearly half of the trust fund money the U.N. had allotted for the care of the two children.
But now, according to Jerry Dykstra of Open Doors USA, Qandah's long legal battle is finally over. "The Islamic Sharia court in Amman, Jordan, actually ruled that not only was she able to keep her children," he says, "but that her brother-in-law has to pay back the fund that he had basically pillaged over the past seven years, to help provide for these children."
Open Doors, an organization that serves and advocates for persecuted Christians around the world, has been appealing for prayers and letters on Qandah's behalf for several years. Her friends and supporters at the ministry are "very excited over the fact that the power of answered prayer has been demonstrated once again," Dykstra says, "and that the process we engaged in, of letter-writing and involving Christians around the world, has really shown itself to be positive in this case."
In an April 12 Compass Direct news report, Qandah was quoted as saying she still could not believe her ordeal is finally over. "I am so happy, I am just speechless," she told the interviewer, adding that she had already called her children from Amman with the news, but could not wait to get back home to Husn to tell them in person.
Open Doors credits the publicity surrounding Qandah's case with helping to secure her rights in the Jordanian courts. According to the ministry, after the Christian woman's dilemma attracted international press coverage, King Abdullah II and other members of the Jordanian royal family began monitoring the case and pledged that Qandah's children would not be taken away from their mother.
Sharia law recognizes Christians only as Stateless or as Slaves
Equal Status denied to Non-Moslems
Friday, December 19, 2003
CHRISTIAN WIDOW FACES PRISON IN CUSTODY
STRUGGLE TO TAKE HER CHILDREN AWAY
Battle underscores concern over Muslim influence in Jordan
based on reporting by Stefan J. Bos
Special Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
AMMAN,
JORDAN (ANS) -- A Jordanian Christian
widow - a mother - is being threatened with imprisonment for refusing to hand over custody of
her her own two teenaged children to her Muslim brother, ASSIST News Service learned
Friday, Dec. 19. (Pictured: Siham with Rawan and
Fadi).
Middle East Concern (MEC), a human rights platform of concerned Christians in
the Middle East, said Siham Qandah, "feared the worse when police delivered
a summons Tuesday evening", this past Dec. 16.
"However, her lawyer ascertained that the summons had been written six
months ago and was suspended depending the outcome of her court case," MEC
added.
Yet the latest developments underscored international concern over the treatment
of Qandah as she has lived under "the threat of being imprisoned"
since January, the organization said.
Her enstranged brother, who MEC says converted to Islam as a teenager, was
awarded custody over her children Rawan (15) and Fadi (14) in 2001, after
agreeing to act as the children's financial guardian and initiating a legal
battle.
MUSLIMS
The Supreme Court reportedly confirmed the ruling in June 2002, "on grounds
that the children were legally Muslims like their father and must be brought up
as such."
"International attention to the case meant Jordanian authorities did not
enforce this decision, however in January the brother returned to court to
enforce the decision, resulting in the order to imprison"
Qandah, unless
she hands over her children, MEC said.
Yet even her own daughter Rawan has made clear she does not want her uncle as
guardian and reportedly started a court case in Irbid, about 88 kilometers (apr.
55 miles) from the capital Amman, to overturn the Supreme Court's ruling.
MATURE
"Under Islamic law she is mature" as she is 15, "but needed a
certificate from a Shari'a Court to verify
this. Surprisingly, the court refused
her, despite this being a common procedure," and her case is therefore
stalled, MEC claimed.
The group added that another of brother of Qandah living abroad has offered to
have Qandah and her children join him, but the youngsters are banned from
leaving Jordan. There were no immediate comments from Jordanian officials.
MEC said a priest will now start an almost impossible court case for the widow to press an Islamic
Court to declare the certificate of the alleged conversion to Islam of her late
husband invalid as it was apparently not signed by him.
FRAUD
The controversial certificate has also fuelled debate during another an-going
court case in Amman which seeks to remove Qandah's brother as her children's
guardian because of his alleged fraudulent handling of the children's money.
He was appointed because Qandah, being Christian, could not inherit from her
legally Muslim husband's estate, but her children could because they became
legally Muslims upon their father's conversion. Being minors, they needed an
adult guardian who was a Muslim.
The case has confirmed worries about growing Muslim influence in the region.
While Jordan king Abdullah II and the government officially "say" they encourage Christian
tourism to biblical sites, Church leaders have told Assist News Service (ANS)
they will have to unite and keep strong amid a growing Muslim population in the
kingdom of about four million people.
Please continue to distribute this Prayer Request to your Church Groups or to your Church Bulletin Boards
Help your Church learn what it means to be a Christian in many parts of the World
From the New Testament book of Matthew, Chapter 25:
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
How to Pray for this situation
 |
Pray for Siham, Rawan and Fadi that the Lord will continue to comfort, encourage, protect, bless and support them at this distressing time.
| Pray that Prince Mired’s possible protection will ensure that this Christian family are not broken up.
| Pray that the many court cases underway and pending will allow the family to remain together.
| Pray that this family and Christians in Jordan will be allowed to practice and share their faith.
| Pray that this family would find favor in the eyes of all of the officials & courts that they are dealing with, and that their faith would remain strong.
| Pray for Spiritual Wisdom and Spiritual Protection, and that this family would be a strong witness for the Lord.
|
|
October 10, 2004
AMMAN, JORDAN (BosNewsLife)-- A Jordan court was due to review evidence in a Christian widow's last possible appeal to retain custody of her two minor children Sunday, October 10, amid reported pressure from the royal family and international human rights groups, International Christian Concern (ICC) said.
For several years Siham Qandah has been trying to remove the guardianship of her estranged brother, Al-Muhtadi, who converted to Islam as a teenager and was awarded custody over her daughter Rawan, 16, and son Fadi, 14, in 2001, after agreeing to act as the children's financial guardian and initiating a legal battle.
A court reportedly confirmed the ruling in June 2002, "on grounds that the children were legally Muslims like their (late) father and must be brought up as such."
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