Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Saudi Woman Who Fled Family Pledges to Fight for Women Escaping Persecution


THE GUARDIAN: Rahaf Mohammed said she will work in support of ‘the same freedom’ she experienced after arriving in Canada

Rahaf Mohammed, the Saudi teen who shot into the headlines after barricading herself into a Thai hotel room, has pledged to fight for women fleeing persecution after she successfully escaped abuse and the fear of death in her home country.

“Today and for years to come, I will work in support of freedom for women around the world – the same freedom I experienced on the first day I arrived in Canada,” she told reporters at a press conference in Toronto.

After her plans to seek asylum in Australia fell apart and she feared deportation back to Saudi Arabia, UNHCR intervened and granted her refugee status. Canada offered to resettle her and she landed in Toronto on Saturday. » | Leyland Cecco in Toronto | Tuesday, January 15, 2019