Saudi Gazette Report

JEDDAH — The Saudi National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) was surprised by the incitement of countries to what they described as “Saudi girls delinquents” rebellion against the values of their families and seeks to receive them under the pretext of granting them asylum.

“Such methods followed by some countries and international organizations are politically motivated and not humanitarian,” said Mufleh Al-Qahtani, head of NSHR, in a press statement on Sunday.

The ongoing case of the girl fleeing to Thailand due to differences with her family and being granted asylum in Canada, caused a stir in social networking sites and was exploited by several international media in an attempt to harm the Kingdom.

Although the issue of the “fugitive girl” is purely a family matter, actors in the international scene, media, rights bodies and politics, tried to exploit the issue to harm the Kingdom, offend Saudi Arabia and reinforce negative stereotypes about Saudis.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, who contravened diplomatic norms by attacking Saudi Arabia via Twitter, caused the Canadian-Saudi diplomatic row, was once again on the scene after receiving the “fugitive girl,” at the airport. This action was questioned by Al Qahtani about the motives behind Ottawa’s foreign minister personally appearing at the airport to receive the girl.

“The Kingdom prevents abuse and punishes offenders including the parents and the rest of the family. Even if what some of these girls statements were true the correct procedure is to lodge a complaint with the protection authorities in the Kingdom,” Al-Qahtani said

“The association condemns such behavior, which was issued by some officials of those countries, as it sees it as incitement and seduction of girls who are in adolescence and are unable to make the right decision,” Al-Qahtani stressed.

“This action also includes an attack on the rights of the families of these girls, who are severely harmed by the defamation following their daughters action that pushes them into the unknown,” he said. The girl who fled from her family to Thailand last week arrived at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Saturday after Canada granted her asylum.

Although the fugitive’s case appears to be “purely family,” several international media used this opportunity to completely attack Saudi Arabia in a frenetic media campaign.

The story of the “fugitive girl” has prompted several international media outlets to fall into the trap of “falsifying the facts” and misleading information about the situation of women in Saudi Arabia, which has witnessed remarkable development over the past two years. — SG