CHRISTIAN WIDOW GIVEN THREE DAYS TO HAND OVER HER CHILDREN TO MUSLIM GUARDIAN

ChristianityNewsToday.Com ^ | Published Date: September 19th, 2003 | By Michael Ireland

[Bobby777]

JORDAN (ANS) -- In the latest act in a long running legal battle, a court in Jordan has ordered Siham Qandah, a Christian widow in that country, to hand over her two children to her Muslim brother in three days or face 30 days imprisonment. Mrs. Qandah and her two children have always been Christians.

Middle East Concern, which is a co-operative effort by concerned Christians in the Middle East focusing on the need for Middle Eastern authorities to ensure the rights of all who choose to call themselves Christian, reports the Civil Court of First Instance in Irbid on Wednesday, (Sept.17) denied a petition to postpone the order for Mrs. Qandah's imprisonment, first issued on January 16, 2003, while a court case in Amman to remove guardianship from the brother is pending. Instead the judge gave Mrs. Qandah three days to comply with the order to hand over her children or face imprisonment.

Mrs. Qandah's troubles began in November 1994 when her husband, an army officer, died leaving her with a daughter and a son, then aged 7 and 5. When she applied for the army widow's pension she was informed that her husband had converted to Islam in 1991, a claim she contests.

Under Jordanian law Mrs. Qandah, a Christian, could not inherit from a Muslim. Therefore the benefit would be paid to her children, legally Muslims like their father. However, they were minors and so required a Muslim guardian to administer the money. Mrs. Qandah asked her estranged brother, who had converted to Islam many years previously, to be the children's guardian. The brother agreed and was duly appointed in April 1995. Subsequently he rarely paid the money to the widow, leaving her with no income to support herself and her children.

In 1998 the brother sought custody of the children on the grounds that, legally, they were Muslims but the mother continued to raise them as Christians. In June, 2001 the Civil Court in Irbid ruled in the brother's favor, a decision upheld through two appeals.

International attention to the case in 2002 resulted in Jordanian intelligence officials reassuring Mrs. Qandah in May and August 2002 that they would do their best to resolve her situation. Two members of the Jordanian royal family, Prince Hassan and Prince Merad, later made efforts to help find a solution for Mrs. Siham and her children.

The brother went to court again seeking that Mrs. Qandah be imprisoned until she hands over her children. Such an order was granted on January 16, 2003. An appeal was lodged but later denied.

In March it was discovered that Mrs. Qandah's brother had withdrawn money from the account held for the children without justification. A court case was started in Amman to remove custody from the brother on these grounds. A petition was filed with the Civil Court in Irbid to postpone the order for her imprisonment while this case is pending. Last Wednesday this petition was denied.

Mrs. Siham refuses to believe her husband converted to Islam, because he had never mentioned this to her or anyone else in his family. Also, there is an irregularity in his conversion document. Dated July 29, 1991, it is signed by two Muslim witnesses (as required) but not by the husband himself. Where his signature should be there is merely an 'X' mark. Further, his death certificate stated that he was Christian and he was buried in a Christian cemetery, which would not be allowed if he were known to be a Muslim. Even the Civil Court in its ruling acknowledged "no one was aware of his conversion to Islam."

Provided by Assist News Service

[Savage Beast]

"Under Jordanian law Mrs. Qandah, a Christian, could not inherit from a Muslim."

This is the sort of thing that these people have in mind for you and me once they have established a worldwide Islamic theocracy, with the Koran as the constitution and the shariah as international law. And this is nothing compared to some of the other things they have in mind.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

You might try reading the article.

[Imal]

When in Jordan...

[TastyManatees]

Then she wouldn't get her husband's pension. The problem is that to get the pension, she had to appoint the brother as the childrens' guardian. She cannot inherit from a "Muslim" because she is Christian. Unbelievably barbaric.

Just imagine if the U.S. Congress passed a bill stating that no Christian could be bound by a contract with a Muslim and that no Muslim could inherit from a Christian. Aside from the obvious unconstitutionality of such a measure, it would instantly make Muslims second-class citizens. No one would do business with them, and they would not be able to legally function in greater society. Our nation rejected this approach to dehumanizing women and minorities more than a century ago. However, it is the disgusting state of Christians in the Arab world.

Tasty Manatees

[eleni121]

How Christians are treated in muslim countries is something muslims in this nation are reticent to talk about.

And sometimes shocked angry silence. Sometimes because they have been duped and sometimes because they cannot stand the light of truth.

I gave a Sudanese Muslim student a video depicting the genocide against the Christians there. He had denied it at first but after viewing it he keeps his mouth shut.

The last few years have revealed to Americans unbelievably horrible revelations about Islam. Too bad they had never read history or asked a Christian from a muslim country what it was like to live in hell.

[Blue Scourge]

More good news from the "religion of peace"....my prayers are with this woman and her childeren...they are in the hands of the Lord

[Bobby777]

there's a video called "Sudan: The Hidden Holocaust" ... it's supposed to document the Islamic treatment of Christians in that country ...

[Bobby777]

yes all Christians should leave the violent Muslim-dominated countries ... for their own good ... if possible ... it may not be possible for many of them ... and Jordan is considered "moderate" by comparison ...

[Bobby777]

no doubt ...

[WillowyDame]

SORRY BABE...

was an oversight!!

[DoctorMichael]

But.....But......Jordan is an open minded 'Western-friendly' ally of the US.

[Bobby777]

if those super-religous muslims ever gain power in parts of the U.S.

God (the Real One) forbid ...

[Bobby777]

Maybe some of them will receive the Gospel ... hope so, because the ones like the Bali bomber would set the world aflame if they could ...

[Bobby777]

yes, they have ...

[Hildy]

CAN YOU READ? READ THE ARTICLE AGAIN and then you'll see how stupid your question is. But you're probably going to find another reason to blame the widow, the biggest victim in this entire story.

[Bobby777]

that's what scares me ... especially when we openly fund Yasser Arafat and we absolutely know what kind of terrorist he is ...

[Bobby777]

he already noted the error in #19 ...

[Puppage]

what kind of dummy would marry a Moslem if she's a Christian? And then foolishly have kids with him?

An ugly woman?

[eleni121]

There are a number of videos that are available made by this organization. I make a practice of showing them all to Muslim students of mine (but that's another story).

http://www.persecutionproject.org/