My Thoughts: Rifqa Bary

When I watch Rifqa Bary in the first few seconds of this video, her behavior changes from a happy “Hi” to this supposedly scared young girl. These two behaviors are very contradictory and my first red flag. It’s as if Rifqa didn’t notice the camera and when she did, she slinks down into an act.

When the reporter asks Rifqa what is going on, Rifqa’s demeanor changes again. Notice how she immediately looks down as she starts talking, “Well, ah…I’m a Christian and uh, my parents are Muslim, they’re extremely devout…”

Read moreNotice she shows no sign or indication of fear at all? She doesn’t show any signs or indication of stress either at this point. As a matter of fact, she continually flashes smiles throughout this video and even breaks down at one point in laughter when she says, “…I don’t know if you know about honor killing, but this faith, that the…you guys don’t understand…”.

When you are scared out of your mind that someone might kill you, you don’t smile. It’s a complete contradiction. Also, notice how when she talks and gets rolling, she isn’t scared at all as the man in the video first said? She rather seems to enjoy the attention at times.

When Rifqa says, as she buries her face in the man’s chest standing next to her, “They don’t understand”, her voice is indicative of a classic whine. There are no tears, and she is not crying, yet her shoulders shake as if she is. The actual act of crying would cause Rifqa body to shake, yet she isn’t crying. There are absolutely no tears whatsoever. One plus one doesn’t equal two here. Notice how Rifqa doesn’t want you to see her face when she pouts like this? Has she been called out on her “crying episodes” before?

In the middle of her crying, she breaks out into a laugh again when she says, “I can’t go back to Ohio.” She holds back laughter just after this as well.

Notice how she rambles on? When people are deathly afraid, they typically shut down. It’s not common for people to ramble in a state of true deep fear–especially fear that one’s life is stake. It’s notably odd here. I would agree that she is nervous here, but that could be for a variety other of reasons.

I find it fascinating that she put her beliefs on Facebook, if she truly believed such knowledge could cause her father to kill her. She was willing to go public on Facebook without fear of being killed? This again is a complete contradiction. And now she seems to think if she stays in Florida that she will be safe? If her father “has to kill her”, would she be safe anywhere?

I find it interesting how she says her father “was about to me beat me.” Obviously, he didn’t lay a hand on her, but it sure makes him sound bad doesn’t it?

Rifqa says, “I snuck out to Christian prayer meetings in fear of my life.” Does this make any sense? If she is afraid for her life, why would she do this now? Ironically, if you listen, Rifqa tells us her dad knew about her religious views for some time, because supposedly he enrolled her in “class after class after class” hoping to convert her back to Islam. When you realize her dad knew about this for some time, and Rifqa refused to respect her dad’s wishes, you have question, is this fear of religious persecution or a battle of the wills between a teenage daughter and her father? It’s obvious she knew her dad disapproved and she continued anyway. Where was her fear of being killed then? What caused her to change?

Notice how Rifqa’s behavior is very different as she tells us what I suspect are true facts about how she hitch-hiked to a bus station. Rifqa says, “I got a ticket to Florida because I had met them through a prayer (unintelligible) on Facebook…” [I’m curious, who bought that ticket– the Florida pastor?]Notice how Rifqa makes normal eye contact when she says that? When she gives these details, her demeanor changes a 180 degrees. That’s what makes her other behavior even more outstanding.

Look at her smile when she says, “Imagine the honor in killing me.”

I also noticed how when she says either they will kill her or send her to an asylum, when she says “asylum” the first time, she says it as a question. We can’t see her face, but it appears she is looking for confirmation from the man in front of her, who is being represented as an expert, if it is, in fact, an asylum. She then repeats the word “asylum” again as a statement. This suggests that her dad didn’t tell her this, it is these men in her life (standing beside her and in front of her now), who brought her to Florida, that likely introduced her to some aspects of this concept. That’s scary and indicative of brainwashing!

The reporter then says, “Do you really think this is true or just a threat?” Watch Rifqa smile and laugh nervously. Where is her fear?? Notice she doesn’t answer the question.

Rifqa starts her whine again, “I am one of hundreds.” She talks faster and tries to get more convincing, but she is lacking any emotional support to her claims. She continually laughs over and over again, and worse she keeps looking to this man off camera in front of her, who is supposedly knowledgeable on this for support. If she truly believed this, should wouldn’t need his affirmation, but she keeps visually seeking it.

I personally do not believe Rifqa is being sincere with us. I also question the motives of the people who are supposedly “helping her”. Regardless of all of this, I do think it is prudent an investigation take place to ensure all appropriate steps are taken as a precaution, because “honor killings” are real and do go on in the world, though it is rare in the U.S. (though have occured).

I hope for Rifqa’s sake, too, that she is simply crying wolf.