ARAB NEWS: JEDDAH – The numbers of Saudi women running away from their homes is increasing according to studies done by the International Muslim Organization for Women and Family (IMOWF) in Jeddah.
Khalid Bahaziq, who has a Ph.D in psychology and works for the IMOWF, said police do not provide statistics on runaway girls, citing confidentiality, so the organization's estimates are drawn from the number of cases that have been brought to it.
“We had to depend on individual cases that we have received since 2005,” said Bahaziq. “We used to receive one case a month and now we are receiving more than 10 a month.”
Bahaziq said that while Saudi runaway girls may have legitimate reasons for feeling the need to escape, they make their situation worse by fleeing on their own.
“They don't plan their next step, so they end up going to the dark side of the world,” he said. “Some sell their bodies to provide food and shelter. Others deal drugs.” >>> Rima Al-Mukhtar, Arab News | Sunday, April 18, 2010
