A 17-year old girl, Fathima Rifqa Bary, has fled to Orlando from Ohio due to fears that her father would murder her for converting to Christianity, The Orlando Sentinel reports. The father denies threatening her and is trying to win back custody of her, with the next hearing set for August 21.

Bary converted after coming into contact with Pastors Blake and Beverly Lorenz from Global Revolution Church through Facebook, a popular social networking site. The couple is now housing Bary.

""Whether she is Christian or whatever religion she adopts, that's O.K. Basically, we want our daughter back," said Fathima's father, Mohamed. He maintains that she fled following a dispute with her mother after she went out without telling her parents.

After leaving, Bary posted a video on YouTube.com where she claims that her father threatened to kill her after learning of her conversion.

"I'm fighting for my life, you guys don't understand," she says as she begins crying. "You don't understand the community, I would die within a week [of returning]."

The director of the Columbus Police Department's Missing Persons Unit, Jerry Cupp, is siding with the parents, stating his belief that the father should not be considered a threat to the safety of Bary.