Custody Verdict Postponed Again in Jordan Case

(Compass) – In a final attempt to wrest custody of his niece and nephew away from their widowed mother, Muslim Abdullah al-Muhtadi demanded yesterday that an Islamic court in Jordan discount the testimony of his sister, Siham Qandah, because she is a Christian. Under Islamic law, the testimony of a non-Muslim carries only half the legal weight of a Muslim in a sharia court. Playing the “religion card” may represent al-Muhtadi’s last resort as Judge Mahmud Zghl set March 22 for the final verdict. After yesterday’s hearing, he reportedly told the children’s mother, “Next week I will announce my decision.” King Abdullah II and other members of the Jordanian royal family have pledged that the children will not be taken away from their mother. Nevertheless, the three-year custody battle has yet to be resolved.