News

Jul 16, 2010

Authorities have restored the license of a foster mother who was accused of brainwashing a Muslim girl in her care to convert to Christianity.

The unidentified woman has provided care for about 80 foster children in the past decade, but the Gateshead City Council canceled her license in 2008 when she failed to prevent the 16-year-old from getting baptized.

Mike Judge, spokesman for the Christian Institute U.K., tells the BBC the council ordered the girl to stay away from church for six months and rethink her decision for Christ. He has a problem with that.

Mike Judge (Christian Institute)"In any free society, people must be free to change their religion without the state interfering and saying you can't," Judge contends. "If this Muslim girl wanted to switch from Islam to Christianity and then back to Islam again, that sort of freedom's got to be at the heart of our democracy."

The foster mother had been accused of brainwashing the girl, but the Christian Institute spokesman explains that that allegation is not true.

"In fact, when the girl said, 'Look, you go to church. I'd like to come along with you. I want to see what it's all about,' the foster carer said, 'Well, are you sure you want to do that? I...[would] be quite happy to drop you off at a mosque,'" Judge accounts. "But the girl was very determined. So no, I don't think anyone could accuse the foster carer of brainwashing."

The woman has cared for Muslim children before, but none expressed an interest in Christianity, and they remained Muslim. After a judicial review was filed, the court reversed the decision and has reinstated the woman's license to provide foster care.