The case of Rahaf al-Qunun is well known. Having fled Kuwait and away from alleged abuse, she landed in Bangkok and claimed asylum. The world watched as she used Twitter to effectively raise her case since she said that if she were returned to her family, she would probably be killed.
There are three things that stuck in my mind about this case. The first is that Rahaf was genuinely frightened for her life and the claims of harassment paint a picture of severe and complete control over her by her family. The second was that she raised an issue that is affecting many families in the region around the way men and women are treated so differently, and the third was she said she had rejected her faith, in this case Islam.
.... What I found was that many ex-Muslims feel isolated when they openly come out as atheists. This is further compounded by their immediate families, who disengage with them or think it’s simply a phase they are going through. There was a real fear of the threat of physical and mental harm against ex-Muslims when they openly rejected Islam. When they find out this is not the case, threats and intimidation – particularly against women – have formed part of the pressure on ex-Muslims. [Metro.co.uk] Read more
