desymbol: Saudi Girl Who Fled To Canada Posts A Pic Without Her Niqab To Celebrate One Year Of Freedom

Unfortunately, not all people believe that everyone should have the right to decide what to do with their own lives. A young woman became the victim of online abuse after she showed before-and-after pictures of herself wearing a niqab vs. her wearing a bikini.

Rafah Mohammed al-Qunun escaped from her abusive family Saudi Arabian family, renounced Islam, became an atheist, and now lives in Canada. She now celebrates being “a free woman” and not being “forced to wear black sheets and being controlled by men.”

While there were many people cyberbullying 19-year-old Rafah, the woman also had lots of supporters online as well.

More info: Twitter

Rafah Mohammed al-Qunun posted before-and-after pictures comparing her life in Saudi Arabia and in Canada

Image credits: rahaf84427714

There were lots of people who insulted Rahaf for these pictures

Image credits: rahaf84427714

Rafah ran away from her family in January 2019 when they were in Kuwait. She then flew to Bangkok but was denied entry: her passport was seized and her story went viral under the hashtag #SaveRahaf.

“They threaten to kill me and prevent me from continuing my education. They won’t let me drive or travel. I am oppressed. I love life and work and I am very ambitious but my family is preventing me from living,” she said about her family members.

The young woman ran away from her family when they were in Kuwait

Image credits: rahaf84427714

Canada welcomed Rahaf with open arms after she ran away from her abusive family

Image credits: CTVToronto

Image credits: rahaf84427714

Rahaf received UN protection and was granted asylum in Canada. The country’s prime minister Justin Trudeau himself stated that Canada would welcome her.

Here’s a video that goes into more detail about Rahaf’s plight

Al Jazeera writes that Rahaf was abused by her family since she was 16 years old. Rahaf hoped that her story would empower other Saudi Arabian women to be “brave and free” and run away from their families just as she did.

“I was exposed to physical violence, persecution, oppression, threats to be killed,” she said. “I felt that I could not achieve my dreams that I wanted as long as I was still living in Saudi Arabia.”

“It’s daily oppression. We are treated as an object, like a slave. We could not make decisions about what we want.”

Rahaf had plans to learn English, go back to school, and find a job in Canada.