Saudi woman trapped in Bangkok airport

Dante7

"A young Saudi woman says she is stranded at Bangkok's main airport after fleeing her family and having her passport seized by a Saudi official.

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, says she was on a trip to Kuwait with her family when she fled on a flight two days ago."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-46773625

Fann Linn

Mary Robinson 087 1234567

DontThankMe

There's worse things going on in the world and even closer to home that I'd be more concerned about tbh.

mad muffin

DontThankMe wrote: »

There's worse things going on in the world and even closer to home that I'd be more concerned about tbh.

I know what you mean. Like that 11 boy who’s doing drag acts in gay nightclubs. :eek:

suicide_circus

if she's sent home she'll be severely beaten

Fann Linn

suicide_circus wrote: »

if she's sent home she'll be severely beaten

Happens to a lot of kids who are bold.

monty_python

Was stranded there myself for 3 days and 3 nights.
It's a grand airport with a grand cheap food court.

Zorya

Read about that earlier. She says she has renounced Islam and her life is in danger. Sounds terrible.

Dante7

She says that the Saudis have said they will forcefully remove her if she does not get on the flight to Kuwait. This is an important case as the Saudis are throwing their weight around again in a foreign country. However, in this case the story has broken beforehand and she is live tweeting so the Saudis have lost control.

feargale

DontThankMe wrote: »

There's worse things going on in the world and even closer to home that I'd be more concerned about tbh.

There can only be one thing in the world in respect of which nothing is worse. If we excuse ourselves from caring about everything which is not the worst thing in the world nothing will ever get done about any injustice.
Remember the old story: " first they came for the Jews and I did not speak out, then they came for the socialists and I did not speak out, then they came for the democrats and I did not speak out, and then they came for me and there was nobody left to speak for me."

Fann Linn

Dante7 wrote: »

She says that the Saudis have said they will forcefully remove her if she does not get on the flight to Kuwait. This is an important case as the Saudis are throwing their weight around again in a foreign country. However, in this case the story has broken beforehand and she is live tweeting so the Saudis have lost control.

The Saudis are cnuts and everyone knows that however we won't do or say anything as we sell them beef, while the US/UK sell them arms.

The Saudis don't care who knows what's going on.

bsloepro

Zorya wrote: »

Read about that earlier. She says she has renounced Islam and her life is in danger. Sounds terrible.

Renouncing Islam (apostasy) gets a fatwa on your head and can be punishable by death. Rough stuff - so much for freedom of choice

Atoms for Peace

Hopefully a western nation will have enough balls, that rules us out, to give her asylum and show up Saudi Arabia and their twisted ideology/religion.

smurfjed

if she's sent home she'll be severely beaten

Beaten? As in beaten to death for bringing shame and dishonour to her family?

Thailand should respect her rights as an adult and let her claim asylum rather than treat her as a bold child.

MarkHenderson

Zorya wrote: »

Read about that earlier. She says she has renounced Islam and her life is in danger. Sounds terrible.

Women like this should be supported and applauded. Send Micheal D's jet to pick her up and yes i'm serious.

Fann Linn

MarkHenderson wrote: »

Women like this should be supported and applauded. Send Micheal D's jet to pick her up and yes i'm serious.

You're joking right. Our crowd wouldn't touch this case with a bargepole.

And yes, I agree with what you've said.

Dante7

Fann Linn wrote: »

The Saudis are cnuts and everyone knows that however we won't do or say anything as we sell them beef, while the US/UK sell them arms.

The Saudis don't care who knows what's going on.

There is also the problem of the right on, progressive types who would rather see people die than to appear islamophobic.

If this woman is forcefully kidnapped by the Saudis on foreign soil, while the west was publicly aware, there will be a huge outcry. She has appealed for asylum to the UK, USA, Australia and Canada. I suspect the Saudis will back down in this case.

Dante7

Here's her Twitter feed

Take a look at Rahaf Mohammed (@rahaf84427714): https://twitter.com/rahaf84427714?s=09

Zorya

There was another girl a few years ago, same story in Manila. She was sent back and has not been heard of again. It's like an escapee tweeting out their escape from a dystopian enclave, a real harsh sci-fi story, and all we can do is look on in horror. She is trapped but briefly communicating with the world because of technology. Horrible really.

I hope someone or somewhere steps up to save that girls life. I'm going to email the FO (I'm English), perhaps anyone else concerned could do similar.

It's also bizarre that people need reminding that you can care about more than one thing at a time.

Candie

Candie wrote: »

I hope someone or somewhere steps up to save that girls life. I'm going to email the FO (I'm English), perhaps anyone else concerned could do similar.

It's also bizarre that people need reminding that you can care about more than one thing at a time.

Only when you grant permission.

DaverageJoe

"The girl is disturbed and needs to be kidnapped and detained against her will to get help" - Mary Robinson probably.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Only when you grant permission.

Don't be silly, Bertie.

Mervyn Skidmore

The Thais and Saudis don't get along so hopefully for her sake they'll allow her to stay.

DontThankMe

feargale wrote: »

There can only be one thing in the world in respect of which nothing is worse. If we excuse ourselves from caring about everything which is not the worst thing in the world nothing will ever get done about any injustice.
Remember the old story: " first they came for the Jews and I did not speak out, then they came for the socialists and I did not speak out, then they came for the democrats and I did not speak out, and then they came for me and there was nobody left to speak for me."

So we should care about every injustice in the world? Which ones do we choose to give priority to over other injustices? It's a waste of time and energy for me to concern myself with her plight.

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself"

Fr_Dougal

Stick her in direct provision in Mosney for a few months, she’ll be begging to get back to Saudi Arabia.

Dante7

Mervyn Skidmore wrote: »

The Thais and Saudis don't get along so hopefully for her sake they'll allow her to stay.

The Thais already allowed Saudi officials enough access that they took her passport, and she is also saying that it is the Saudis who are effectively imprisoning her. They do seem to have backed off though since it became international news.

Ariadne

The poor girl, she must be terrified. She finally has the courage to flee her family and get on a plane only to be detained in Thailand, fully aware of her fate when she's sent back. I hope the fact that the world is watching will stop this from happening but what happened to the Saudi girl in Manila isn't very encouraging.

Mervyn Skidmore

Dante7 wrote: »

The Thais already allowed Saudi officials enough access that they took her passport, and she is also saying that it is the Saudis who are effectively imprisoning her. They do seem to have backed off though since it became international news.

Ya just reading through it now, strange circumstances.

KERSPLAT!

DontThankMe wrote: »

So we should care about every injustice in the world? Which ones do we choose to give priority to over other injustices? It's a waste of time and energy for me to concern myself with her plight.

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself"

It's up to you which ones you care about, some posters here care about this.

It's possible to care about multiple things, home and abroad, that affect you personally or not. Concern, sympathy, empathy.

jam_mac_jam

I hope she is given asylum by any country. To think of the sanctions on Cuba and Russia (who I know are not angels) and all the western countries sell arms to a county that will carry on like Saudi.

DontThankMe

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

It's up to you which ones you care about, some posters here care about this.

It's possible to care about multiple things, home and abroad, that affect you personally or not. Concern, sympathy, empathy.

Indeed just seems like a pointless waste of energy to focus on or give thought to something that I cannot change while sitting on my couch. I prefer to focus on things that I have control over or can change myself.

imme

Where in the article does it say that the woman was trapped in Bangkok airport?

KERSPLAT!

DontThankMe wrote: »

Indeed just seems like a pointless waste of energy to focus on or give thought to something that I cannot change while sitting on my couch. I prefer to focus on things that I have control over or can change myself.

What can you change about rugby while sitting on your couch?

It's a discussion board, where people will discuss various things that interest them. Not all will interest you. Seems a waste of time to comment at all really...

DontThankMe

imme wrote: »

Where in the article does it say that the woman was trapped in Bangkok airport?

In the opening lines of the article it says:

"A young Saudi woman says she is stranded at Bangkok's main airport after fleeing her family and having her passport seized by a Saudi official."

No passport so she can't go anywhere.

VeryTerry

Dante7 wrote: »

There is also the problem of the right on, progressive types who would rather see people die than to appear islamophobic.

I don't think I've ever seen anybody ever defend Saudi on this site.

Hopefully this lady finds asylum somewhere soon.

Dante7

DontThankMe wrote: »

Indeed just seems like a pointless waste of energy to focus on or give thought to something that I cannot change while sitting on my couch. I prefer to focus on things that I have control over or can change myself.

But that is where you are wrong. It is people sitting at home on their couches who have drawn attention to this case and who may affect change.

Dante7

VeryTerry wrote: »

I don't think I've ever seen anybody ever defend Saudi on this site.

Hopefully this lady finds asylum somewhere soon.

They won't defend Saudi overtly, but they will subtly try and diminish its actions when there is a hint of Islam being involved. We've already seen it in this thread. Bold girls will be brought home and punished. Nothing to see here.

DontThankMe

Dante7 wrote: »

But that is where you are wrong. It is people sitting at home on their couches who have drawn attention to this case and who may affect change.

Let me guess they'll do this through the power of social media? I can't see any other scenario where Mary or Michael in Ireland are going to have any bearing on the outcome of this particular case.

DontThankMe

DontThankMe wrote: »

Let me guess they'll do this through the power of social media? I can't see any other scenario where Mary or Michael in Ireland are going to have any bearing on the outcome of this particular case.

Tweet or email your foreign ministry, add your voice.

Dante7

DontThankMe wrote: »

Let me guess they'll do this through the power of social media? I can't see any other scenario where Mary or Michael in Ireland are going to have any bearing on the outcome of this particular case.

It's quite simple. The woman in question utilised social media to highlight her plight. Lots of Marys and Michaels retweeted and now it is international news and the Saudis are backing off. If everyone took your approach, she would probably be dead by this time tomorrow.

DontThankMe

Dante7 wrote: »

It's quite simple. The woman in question utilised social media to highlight her plight. Lots of Marys and Michaels retweeted and now it is international news and the Saudis are backing off. If everyone took your approach, she would probably be dead by this time tomorrow.

Don't think it's going to make any difference at all to the Saudis considering they murdered one of their own citizens in their consulate in Turkey.

Lackey

This is so upsetting
Shes 18 years old FFS her biggest concern should be what to wear out on Saturday night, and passing exams
WFT is wrong with her parents,

following her twitter...I hope she gets to live the normal life she wants away from this bull**** religion.

Harry Palmr

I hope Irish gubberment offer her safety in the consulate (if they have one)

DontThankMe

DontThankMe wrote: »

Don't think it's going to make any difference at all to the Saudis considering they murdered one of their own citizens in their consulate in Turkey.

The laziest and most defeatist argument of all.

Yeah, why bother even trying.

Dante7

DontThankMe wrote: »

Don't think it's going to make any difference at all to the Saudis considering they murdered one of their own citizens in their consulate in Turkey.

Well let's see if we can make a little bit of difference this time and try to stop this woman being murdered. We know in advance this time. Maybe retweet her plight and add another little drop of pressure against Saudi Arabia. Those drops can become a tsunami.

james678

Will she be stoned to death if she goes back?

Dante7

james678 wrote: »

Will she be stoned to death if she goes back?

Stonings are usually reserved for adultery, although it is sanctioned for apostasy, which is in play here as Rahaf has also renounced Islam. If she is returned to KSA, she is dead.

james678

Dante7 wrote: »

Stonings are usually reserved for adultery, although it is sanctioned for apostasy, which is in play here as Rahaf has also denounced Islam. If she is returned to KSA, she is dead.

And this is why I will never visit these backward countries.

Friends were going to Dubai and I wouldn't go with them.

Dante7

james678 wrote: »

And this is why I will never visit these backward countries.

Friends were going to Dubai and I wouldn't go with them.

I totally agree with this. Vote with your feet.

DontThankMe

james678 wrote: »

And this is why I will never visit these backward countries.

Friends were going to Dubai and I wouldn't go with them.

It's a fairly safe place to visit for tourists as long as they obey the laws of the land and respect the culture.