Saudi teen Rahaf Mohammed who fled abusive family embraces Canadian life
In social media posts Rahaf Mohammed eats bacon and eggs and enjoys Starbucks coffee after arriving in Toronto.
Wednesday 16 January 2019 17:11, UK
A Saudi teen who fled her "abusive" family and has been granted refugee status in Canada has been sharing images of her new life in Toronto.
Rahaf Mohammed, 18, has shared pictures of her eating bacon and eggs, enjoying a Starbucks coffee and wearing warm winter clothes on her social media platforms.
It is a world away from her previous life in Saudi Arabia and the week she spent in limbo after fleeing to Thailand, where she barricaded herself into a hotel room and used Twitter to alert the world to her situation.
The teenager, who has given up her family name Alqunun, feared she would be killed by her relatives is she returned to Saudi Arabia after on 7 January.
UN refugee authorities placed her within their care just hours before her father and brother arrived in Bangkok to attempt to meet with her.
The teen claims her family abused her physically and mentally. There has been no public comment from her family and at the time the kingdom said it considered the situation a family matter.
On Wednesday, Rahaf made a public statement in Toronto, thanking those who helped her and added that when she heard "Canada was selected as my new home, the stress that I felt over the last week melted away".
In her public appearance, she said through an interpreter that her first priority is to learn English.
Reflecting on her old life, she said: "I was not treated respectfully by my family and I was not allowed to be myself and who I want to be.
"As you know, in Saudi Arabia this is the case for all Saudi women, except for those that are fortunate enough to have understanding parents."
She added: "Any woman who thinks of escaping, or escapes, will be at risk of persecution."
Rahaf has been provided with round the clock security protection in Canada and has taken a break from the Twitter account she credits with saving her life after being inundated with death threats in part because she has renounced Islam.
Looking forward to her new life, Rahaf, said she wants to be independent, travel and make her own decisions on education, on a career and who she will marry.
"Today and for years to come, I will work in support of freedom for women around the world," she said.
"The same freedom I experienced on the first day I arrived in Canada."