“Whether she is Christian or whatever religion she adopts, that’s O.K,” said Mohamed Bary. “Basically, we want our daughter back.”…

But her father on Thursday said he never threatened to kill his daughter.

She had a falling out with her mother the night before she disappeared, he said. He was out of town.

Rifqa had gone out without permission, was gone more than three hours, and when she came home, her mother scolded her and told her that because of her behavior, the whole family might have to return to their native Sri Lanka, Mohamed Bary said.