When Misleh Al-Refo of Dearborn needed help battling the courts for custody of his daughter, he wasn’t sure where to turn to for help. At 61, and living off of retirement, he was without money to pay for a lawyer in what has been a long custody battle.

It was then that the Muslim Family Services, a social service organization in Hamtramck, stepped in to provide assistance, helping him obtain a lawyer.

Muslim Family Services (MFS) was founded in 1998 by a group of people who were part of the Islamic Circle of North America, a relief organization.

Dr Ali Suleiman, director of MFS and one of the founding members, feels that it is a one-of-kind organization here in Michigan

“We deal primarily with marriage issues and helping the needy with bills and so on. This was thr purpose of the organization when it was founded, but we help people who have problems with children in foster care, with domestic abuse and such things.”

The organization does not stop at providing assistance to those who come in to fill out paperwork, but according to Kaythum Ahmed, a marriage counselor, they sometimes help students with behavior problems in schools.

“The organization helps even the schools around (Hamtramck). We provide counseling to the kids at elementary, middle and high  schools,” Ahmed said. “I do counseling for children with behavior issues. Sometimes families prefer coming here than to the school. They are confident with  the organization  and trust (Dr. Suleiman) because he is an imam also. Many residents here like to deal with the organization.”

Getting his daughter out of foster care is the situation that Al-Refo needed help with.

His late wife Kimberly Al-Refo left with his daughter Lucy seven years ago, claiming that she was going to visit his family in Jordan. Al-Refo said that he spent nearly $3,000 in preparing to send his wife and daughter to Jordan. Kimberly and Lucy left on May 26, 2003.

“I called my family a few days later and they said nobody came. I called asking for my daughter and my wife, they said ‘We don’t know. Nobody came.'” It was at that time that Al-Refo contacted the police and FBI and was told that they knew nothing.  He realized that his wife had deceived him in claiming to visit his family, and had actually left him….with his six-year-old daughter.

In  June of 2009, Al-Refo’s son Bakr received a call from Dearborn Police regarding a 13-year-old girl who was lost. Al-Refo said his son immediately recognized the girl as his daughter Lucy, but that she looked homeless and as if she wasn’t taken care of. In July of 2009 a court date was scheduled and Al-Refo said his wife attended.

“I told her to come back home, we can open a house and start anew. She said yes,” Al-Refo said.  Lucy remained with the state for treatment during this time.

The next court date was scheduled for October 30, 2009, but his wife Kimberly passed away before that date. Due to her death, the situation was more complicated and Al-Refo was required to undergo a mental evaluation to see if he was fit to raise his daughter. Until then he was allowed once a week visitations with his daughter.

The first two visits went well, but Al-Refo was late for the third visit, and when the social worker tried to call the foster mother to return for him to see his daughter, the foster mother didn’t answer. Later on the social worker called and told him the court will stop visitations because Lucy was very happy with her foster mother and she didn’t want to see him anymore.

“My daughter, when I saw her the two times, she was happy and enjoyed her herself,” Al-Refo said. He said he bought her toys and small gifts for his visit. “But they told me that she doesn’t want to see me. She doesn’t like to talk to me, but this can’t be true.  The foster home is refusing to allow her to see me. I have not seen her since Febuary (2010).”

Al-Refo is wanting to make an appeal to the courts to see if Lucy really does not wish to see him, or is being pressured by her foster family. He is concerned that her foster mother may just want to keep Lucy due to the money she receives from the state.

Ahmed is handling Al-Refo’s case. Although she is a marriage therapist, as a licensed social worker, she handles some other types of cases on an individual basis, such as Misleh Al-Refo’s. She and her office helped pay $5,000 for a lawyer to assist Al-Refo in obtaining visitation rights, and hopefully custody of his daughter.

“(Those who need assistance) can call our office, take an intake form and we will the place it with the appropriate person.” Suleiman said. “Our office is open five days a week.”

For more information visit www.muslimfamilyservices.org or call 313.366.6800.