@rahaf84427714/TwitterA Saudi teenager who was granted asylum in Canada has shared pictures of herself living as a ‘free woman’ without a niqab.
Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, fled Saudi Arabia at the start of this year after renouncing Islam; a decision punishable by death in the country.
She flew to Bangkok with plans to continue on to Australia, but Thai officials stopped her and told her to return to Kuwait, where her family were waiting. The teen refused to comply and barricaded herself in her airport hotel room, where she remained for six nights.
@rahaf84427714/TwitterRahaf launched a campaign for asylum on Twitter, telling her followers she was afraid her family would ‘kill’ her if she returned home.
The UN’s refugee agency said it considered Rahaf to be a legitimate refugee and requested she be granted asylum in Canada.
Canada’s officials agreed, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau telling reporters:
Canada has been unequivocal that we will always stand up for human rights and women’s rights around the world. When the UN made a request of us that we grant Ms al-Qunun asylum, we accepted.
It's been a year since I became free. Everytime I wake up, I feel like I’m being born again❣️!
There’s always hope even if you don’t see it. #newlife— Rahaf Mohammed رهف محمد (@rahaf84427714) January 6, 2020
Rahaf landed in Toronto on January 11 and has since been getting used to her new life. A couple of weeks after her arrival, the 18-year-old took part in a Twitter thread, requesting people share photos of ‘major appearance changes’.
The teen shared two images of herself; one in which she wore a niqab with only her eyes visible, and another taken on a beach, where she had a bare face and shoulders and sunglasses on her head.
Alongside the images, Rahaf wrote:
The biggest change in my life.. from being forced to wear black sheets and being controlled by men to being a free woman.
The biggest change in my life.. from being forced to wear black sheets and being controlled by men to being a free woman. https://t.co/HHhlPCGc9e pic.twitter.com/oGAh9AgK6Q
— Rahaf Mohammed رهف محمد (@rahaf84427714) January 26, 2020
She spoke to The New York Times about the huge transition, explaining she was excited to ‘do crazy things [she’s] never done before’ as part of her new life.
Commenting on her asylum, Rahaf said:
From the welcome I had and love I’ve been shown, I saw this is a country that respects human rights and the dignity of a person. It’s also cold.
The teen recalled her life in Saudi Arabia, where she had been a first year university student studying basic science and maths.
She described her life as being controlled by strict rules, referencing a time she cut her hair in a way her family did not approve of. As punishment for her actions, her brother locked her in a room for six months.
On another occasion, Rahaf removed her niqab, which lead to her brother beating her and locking her up again.
Rahaf is now worried her family will take out its anger on her younger sister, who is still at home. Rahaf’s search for asylum received a lot of attention on social media, and she is considering her platform as a force for good.
She commented:
I have a lot of followers. My voice is heard. Maybe I can do something with it.
Saudi Arabia’s guardianship system means women must have permission from a male relative to travel outside the country, study abroad or get married.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.