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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.
Rahaf 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 Rahaf, the woman also had lots of supporters online as well.
More info: Twitter
RELATED:
Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun posted before-and-after pictures comparing her life in Saudi Arabia and in Canada
Image credits: rahaf84427714
Image credits: rahaf84427714
Image credits: rahaf84427714
There were lots of people who insulted Rahaf for these pictures
Image credits: rahaf84427714
Rahaf 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
Image credits: rahaf84427714
Image credits: rahaf84427714
Image credits: rahaf84427714
Image credits: rahaf84427714
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.
Lots of people showed their support for Rahaf
Image credits: MusicMelbMary
Image credits: Maribellacy
Image credits: mashaal1saif
Image credits: luisalonsoramos
Here’s even more people showing their support
What do you think ?
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
The burka and the niqab : invented by men so they wouldn't get horny by looking at women, forced upon the women by telling them "if you don't cover up you are a whore." And than there are people standing up for the "right" of women to wear it and protesting "this infringement on an ancient culture" when governements banned them in certain places. SMH.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
Men who force this are telling that world that they are too stupid and weak to keep their d***s in their pants.
Load More Replies...
ShireenAin'tWoke 5 years ago
I'm so happy that she was able to escape and get asylum and never ceases to amaze me when I hear stories of women escaping theses kinds of situations. I don't understand how any woman that considers herself a feminist can support women being forced wear a Hijab or a Burkah. Women do not choose to wear them, they are forced and most (if not all) of them are abused because it. Some of them are killed for leaving Islam or trying to escape from their country and families.
Shatha 5 years ago
Many women choose to wear a hijab. Not all are forced to. I wasn't. It all depends on what you believe. I chose to wear a hijab as a teenager. It was my decision. It gives me a sense of identity. I do not at all feel oppressed. I'm married and have an education. My husband actually encourages me to go back to school to get my master's degree. Islam is a beautiful religion that actually supports women's rights, especially to get an education. It's really sad when some people carry out horrible attacks on innocent people in the name of Islam. Islam is very much against it. These horrible people twist around the words of the Quran to justify their actions. Sadly, in some countries, men use that thinking and try to assert their control over women. True Muslims are 100% against these people and their actions. I hope that clears up some misconceptions that people might have about Islam.❤
Load More Replies...
Biljana Malesevic 5 years ago
what kind of monsters are bullying this lovely girl because she decided to take her own life in her hands, and live as any normal free girl in the world, instead of being fully covered all her life and not able to make most of decisions about her own life? How would you, who hate her, like to be covered in dark, heavy cloth all your life, and to be told by others how you should live? But when a year ago on BP I dared to write that I find burkini extremely uncomfortable, as a woman, and possibly not healthy (dark, wet clothes on heat, duh!) I was attacked by snoflakes here that I am racist. Please, I just don't want anyone to suffer, for any religion or customs. That's all!
John C 5 years ago
Upvote 1000x. Even if you can't appreciate this woman's INCREDIBLE bravery (I'm sure as a coddled white american male I can't even imagine how difficult and terrifying her escape was), this story and those like it need to be spread far and wide, both as encouragement for those still oppressed and as a message to the oppressors. I wish I could give her a hug. Or maybe just a handshake, to avoid the "creep" factor.
Invisible User 5 years ago
WILL PEOPLE STOP APOLOGISING FOR BEING WHITE!!
Load More Replies...
Christina Palmer 5 years ago
And then here in the good old United States, women are still fighting for the right to have an abortion and comprehensive health care, equal pay, and the ability to go about our lives without the fear of being raped because we were drunk, wore certain clothing, or
deanna woods 5 years ago
I can see that the comment section is a little divided so I have something to say that might help: All religions have their rules of how things are supposed to operate. Then you have people who interpret religion in their own way and use their way to oppress people. I am sure that there are Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab, just like there are Christians that choose to not go to Sunday services. That doesn't take away their feelings towards their faith. Some places in this world have decided that they can use religion to justify oppressing people. This young lady did a very brave thing by escaping from her abusive and controlling family. So have young women who were raised in the FLDS. They were raised in a Christian religion, but they were still oppressed. Any religion can oppress people and any religion can allow freedom.
Jace 5 years ago
And it’s just an indictment of religion as a whole, IMO. It’s a tool to dictate arbitrary “morality” and control people; always was.
Load More Replies...
Ami Temi 5 years ago (edited)
I'm happy this girl has the life she wanted. If her family abused her, that's a family issue and it's absolutely horrible and sad. Any family like that is a tragedy. Many regions in the world are quite backwards and overly focused on women to compensate any problems in society and often there are many of them. That's the case for Christians, Muslims, Jews, and so on... I'm Muslim, always have been, I love my beautiful family, I wear what I want, I can post a picture on the beach, in the swimming pool, I pray, I fast, I wear a scarf when the need asks for it (funeral, going to the mosque, praying), I have gay friends, I live on my own, I earn my own money, I know more than any of my male colleagues. I have all the freedom in the world, so do my sisters, brother, mom and dad. What vexes me each and every time is how little people know about our religion or about people in general. I'm Muslim, but I have my own culture, I'm whiter than the so called Caucasians. I'm literally from the Caucasian region on which this 'name' was inspired on... People will praise this girl and let everyone know how 'evil' Muslims are and so on.
Jace 5 years ago
It’s not a family problem. It’s a cultural problem. If the culture promotes abuse as normal, and uses religion as the tool to carry out that abuse, the family carries it out. YOUR culture isn’t this way and that’s great. It doesn’t mean that religion (all religion) isn’t constantly used to control people. That’s its whole function. You being happy and free is no more a justification of religion than you think this woman’s horrible experiences are a condemnation of religion.
Load More Replies...
How Terribly Unfortunate 5 years ago
Honestly, it's the 21st century. Why do people still think it's okay to treat women unequally?
Christina Uhlir 5 years ago
How Terribly Unfortunate, because there is indisputable link between animal cruelty and violence against humans, especially physically weaker humans. Show me a religion which supports animal rights? Religion equals oppression. Religions do not worship God, they play God. They teach that God is good and just, yet they commit atrocities in His/Her/Its name. They set up the rules, not God. They do not allow free thinking, let alone free will, yet, people blindly, freely follow.
Load More Replies... WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
The burka and the niqab : invented by men so they wouldn't get horny by looking at women, forced upon the women by telling them "if you don't cover up you are a whore." And than there are people standing up for the "right" of women to wear it and protesting "this infringement on an ancient culture" when governements banned them in certain places. SMH.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
Men who force this are telling that world that they are too stupid and weak to keep their d***s in their pants.
Load More Replies... ShireenAin'tWoke 5 years ago
I'm so happy that she was able to escape and get asylum and never ceases to amaze me when I hear stories of women escaping theses kinds of situations. I don't understand how any woman that considers herself a feminist can support women being forced wear a Hijab or a Burkah. Women do not choose to wear them, they are forced and most (if not all) of them are abused because it. Some of them are killed for leaving Islam or trying to escape from their country and families.
Shatha 5 years ago
Many women choose to wear a hijab. Not all are forced to. I wasn't. It all depends on what you believe. I chose to wear a hijab as a teenager. It was my decision. It gives me a sense of identity. I do not at all feel oppressed. I'm married and have an education. My husband actually encourages me to go back to school to get my master's degree. Islam is a beautiful religion that actually supports women's rights, especially to get an education. It's really sad when some people carry out horrible attacks on innocent people in the name of Islam. Islam is very much against it. These horrible people twist around the words of the Quran to justify their actions. Sadly, in some countries, men use that thinking and try to assert their control over women. True Muslims are 100% against these people and their actions. I hope that clears up some misconceptions that people might have about Islam.❤
Load More Replies... Biljana Malesevic 5 years ago
what kind of monsters are bullying this lovely girl because she decided to take her own life in her hands, and live as any normal free girl in the world, instead of being fully covered all her life and not able to make most of decisions about her own life? How would you, who hate her, like to be covered in dark, heavy cloth all your life, and to be told by others how you should live? But when a year ago on BP I dared to write that I find burkini extremely uncomfortable, as a woman, and possibly not healthy (dark, wet clothes on heat, duh!) I was attacked by snoflakes here that I am racist. Please, I just don't want anyone to suffer, for any religion or customs. That's all!
John C 5 years ago
Upvote 1000x. Even if you can't appreciate this woman's INCREDIBLE bravery (I'm sure as a coddled white american male I can't even imagine how difficult and terrifying her escape was), this story and those like it need to be spread far and wide, both as encouragement for those still oppressed and as a message to the oppressors. I wish I could give her a hug. Or maybe just a handshake, to avoid the "creep" factor.
Invisible User 5 years ago
WILL PEOPLE STOP APOLOGISING FOR BEING WHITE!!
Load More Replies... Christina Palmer 5 years ago
And then here in the good old United States, women are still fighting for the right to have an abortion and comprehensive health care, equal pay, and the ability to go about our lives without the fear of being raped because we were drunk, wore certain clothing, or
deanna woods 5 years ago
I can see that the comment section is a little divided so I have something to say that might help: All religions have their rules of how things are supposed to operate. Then you have people who interpret religion in their own way and use their way to oppress people. I am sure that there are Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab, just like there are Christians that choose to not go to Sunday services. That doesn't take away their feelings towards their faith. Some places in this world have decided that they can use religion to justify oppressing people. This young lady did a very brave thing by escaping from her abusive and controlling family. So have young women who were raised in the FLDS. They were raised in a Christian religion, but they were still oppressed. Any religion can oppress people and any religion can allow freedom.
Jace 5 years ago
And it’s just an indictment of religion as a whole, IMO. It’s a tool to dictate arbitrary “morality” and control people; always was.
Load More Replies... Ami Temi 5 years ago (edited)
I'm happy this girl has the life she wanted. If her family abused her, that's a family issue and it's absolutely horrible and sad. Any family like that is a tragedy. Many regions in the world are quite backwards and overly focused on women to compensate any problems in society and often there are many of them. That's the case for Christians, Muslims, Jews, and so on... I'm Muslim, always have been, I love my beautiful family, I wear what I want, I can post a picture on the beach, in the swimming pool, I pray, I fast, I wear a scarf when the need asks for it (funeral, going to the mosque, praying), I have gay friends, I live on my own, I earn my own money, I know more than any of my male colleagues. I have all the freedom in the world, so do my sisters, brother, mom and dad. What vexes me each and every time is how little people know about our religion or about people in general. I'm Muslim, but I have my own culture, I'm whiter than the so called Caucasians. I'm literally from the Caucasian region on which this 'name' was inspired on... People will praise this girl and let everyone know how 'evil' Muslims are and so on.
Jace 5 years ago
It’s not a family problem. It’s a cultural problem. If the culture promotes abuse as normal, and uses religion as the tool to carry out that abuse, the family carries it out. YOUR culture isn’t this way and that’s great. It doesn’t mean that religion (all religion) isn’t constantly used to control people. That’s its whole function. You being happy and free is no more a justification of religion than you think this woman’s horrible experiences are a condemnation of religion.
Load More Replies... How Terribly Unfortunate 5 years ago
Honestly, it's the 21st century. Why do people still think it's okay to treat women unequally?
Christina Uhlir 5 years ago
How Terribly Unfortunate, because there is indisputable link between animal cruelty and violence against humans, especially physically weaker humans. Show me a religion which supports animal rights? Religion equals oppression. Religions do not worship God, they play God. They teach that God is good and just, yet they commit atrocities in His/Her/Its name. They set up the rules, not God. They do not allow free thinking, let alone free will, yet, people blindly, freely follow.
Load More Replies...
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