Ex-Muslim Sues His Church for Celebrating His Baptism

Oklahoma man claims he was tortured, nearly beheaded in Syria because of Presbyterian church’s online announcement.

A Muslim convert to Christianity has sued his Oklahoma church and its pastor for negligence after the church announced his baptism online. He alleges that the announcement caused disastrous consequences on his trip back home to Syria, where he was tortured and almost executed by Muslim extremists.

The convert seeks $75,000 or more in punitive damages to discourage other churches from announcing the Christian conversions of other former Muslims.

Lawsuits only tell one side of the story. But according to the June 9 filing, the man was privately baptized in December 2012, a few weeks before making a regular trip to Damascus. He had repeatedly asked for the baptism to be done privately for his safety, and he alleges that he secured a promise from First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa to keep the baptism private. But a few days after arriving in Syria, the Oklahoma church allegedly published an announcement on its website that he had been baptized.

Soon after the news of his baptism went online, the convert alleges that he was beaten by Muslim extremists in Damascus, who told him they had read about his baptism on the internet. Even after denying his conversion, the man was held captive and tortured for days before he managed to escape and return to the United States.

The lawsuit claims that a murder sentence exists against the convert in Syria, where his son still lives and his business and possessions are now forfeit. The convert, who has permanent resident status but is not yet a U.S. citizen, is asking for $75,000 in retribution from the church that allegedly inadvertently prompted his persecution.

“The Defendants were either grossly negligent or deliberately indifferent to Plaintiff’s safety by publicizing …