two teenaged children to her Muslim brother, BosNewsLife learned Friday, December 19.
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", December 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 a 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 say they encourage Christian tourism to biblical sites, Church leaders have told BosNewsLife they will have to unite and keep strong amid a growing Muslim population in the kingdom of about four million people.
