Let’s hail this Saudi teen’s great escape, not Justin Trudeau

It’s insufferable to witness Justin Trudeau reap the glory of saving the young Saudi refugee trying to flee her Islamic family, writes Miranda Devine.

The good news is that 18-year-old Saudi refugee Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun is safe, now that Canada has granted her asylum.

She tweeted a triumphant “I did it” message yesterday to her 82,000 new Twitter followers, along with a muscle emoji and photos of herself in a business class seat on a Korean Air flight out of Bangkok bound for Canada via Seoul.

Rahaf Mohammed tweets on her way to Canada. Picture: Twitter

All the same, it was rather galling to see the insufferable Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, reap the glory of saving this valiant young rebel, who faced a grim fate if forced to return to her angry family in Saudi Arabia once she had renounced Islam.

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“Canada is a country that understands how important it is to stand up for human rights, to stand up for women’s rights around the world, and I can confirm that we have accepted the UN’s request,” Trudeau said at a press conference, looking like the cat that swallowed the cream.

The implication being that Australia, the first country cited as a haven for Alqunun when this story exploded last week, doesn’t stand up for women’s rights.

But before the usual suspects accuse the Morrison government of dithering, we need to remember that Alqunun always cited Canada as her preferred destination.

The 18-year-old begged for asylum on social media, claiming she was trying to escape her abusive family. Picture: Twitter

“I seek protection in particular from the following country Canada/United States/Australia/United Kingdom”, she tweeted last Sunday while barricaded inside a Bangkok hotel room, begging the world to save her from Thai authorities trying to deport her and a father and brother determined to drag her home.

She chose Canada and that’s her right (though it shows seriously bad taste). In the end, it’s been a win-win for Australia because we heeded her plight but didn’t have to disrupt our orderly refugee process, regardless of topless feminist protests.

As for Trudeau, helping refugees is not about grandstanding on the odd high-profile case but putting in a consistent effort over time.

Australia’s record of resettling refugees is second to none. We are the most generous country per capita in the world, ahead of Canada, not to mention the US, the other country in the top three.

Between 2004 and 2016, we settled 158,217 refugees, while Canada settled 191,801 and the US 828,128. But per head of population Australia comes out on top, at six refugees per thousand, compared to Canada’s five and the US at three.

Obviously, we can’t give every Saudi woman asylum from their sexist prisons. Change has to come from within.

But good luck to Alqunun. Let’s hope she offers a beacon of hope to women in the Islamic world.