More than 10,000 kilometres away from home in Saudi Arabia, Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun pauses when asked about the family from whom she fled.Then the tears come.“I felt so sad. It was hard. I didn’t expect my family to disown me,” Rahaf, 18, says during an exclusive interview Monday with the Star and CBC.Sitting in a small office at a Toronto immigrant settlement agency, the Saudi teen’s voice cracks with emotion as she talks about the family she plotted for years to escape, alleging they subjected her to both physical and mental abuse — and ultimately led to her being granted refuge in Canada.The scene is in stark contrast to the confident young woman who smiled and waved at supporters at Pearson International Airport Saturday, when she arrived in Canada after a tumultuous week that began with her fleeing from her family during a trip to Kuwait. From there, she flew to Bangkok, where she was detained by Thai authorities who prepared to deport her. Rahaf fought back, barricading herself in her hotel room and launching a desperate plea for help on Twitter that caught international attention and, eventually, sparked Canada’s swift response to offer her protection.Read more: Opinion | Rosie Dimanno: Canada is Rahaf Mohammed’s guardian nowCanada faces a war on all fronts over refugee rights and wrongsGranted asylum in Canada, Saudi teen ‘happy to be in her new home’Wearing a white sweater and torn jeans, attire not atypical for teenagers, a still tired-looking Rahaf says she had long planned her escape once turning 18, an age that would allow her to be recognized and treated as a free adult woman in the West.Rahaf, who has dropped her last name after learning on social media her family has disowned her, alleges she faced physical violence at the hands of her mother and brother — claims her family have denied. Rahaf says her father is married to another woman, with whom he lives, but was her legal guardian. For ...
|
