How girl, 13, was kidnapped by her dad, taken to Syria and forced to marry her cousin | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Monday 30 June 2014

How girl, 13, was kidnapped by her dad, taken to Syria and forced to marry her cousin

An Australian girl who was kidnapped, beaten and married off to her older cousin by her father’s family in Syria at the age of 13 has spoken out about her horrific five-year ordeal for the first time.

Rania Farrah (pictured above) was on what was meant to be a trip of a lifetime to Egypt to visit the pyramids with her older brother but instead ended up being turned into a child bride by her own family. Continue...
 
Appearing on Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes on Sunday night, Ms Farrah revealed she planned to commit suicide if her escape plan on her 18th birthday didn't work, and said: ‘I was just in a depression the whole time I was there… I just thought of Australia.’

Ms Farrah, who grew up living in Sydney’s southwest and is the daughter of a Syrian Muslim and his Australian convert wife, was married off to her cousin who she had never met and endured terrible beatings after being taken to Syria’s capital Damascus from Egypt.

Her mother, who had previously fled Ms Farrah's father after 20 years of violent marriage, knew about her daughter's kidnapping but told her during phone calls from that she could not afford to bring her home to Australia.

On arrival in Damascus, Ms Farrah was subjected to a virginity test because her father decided she had been under bad influences when in Year 7 at school, when she started smoking cigarettes and talking to boys.
'They wanted to check for my virginity. They said to enroll in a school they needed to check I was a virgin,’ Ms Farrah explained.  

She felt 'confusion and fear' as nurses came and held her down. After the virginity test - despite the results showing she was indeed a virgin - her father and brother beat her at her Auntie’s house.
'It’s quite a normal thing to kill your daughter for not being a virgin,' she noted.
On Sunday, Ms Farrah described her father as ‘an evil person, he’s the most evil person you’ll ever meet’.

Opening up to Liz Hayes about the shocking crime of forced marriage that affects hundreds of Australian women every year, she explained that she shut off her emotions and played along with her family’s plan while dreaming of her escape.

Living in a strict Muslim world, she attended an Islamic school and learned Arabic. 'I did all the things they asked me to do… I was taught how to pray and fast for Ramadan,' she said.

Her second cousin, who she was forced to marry, was in his early thirties and Ms Farrah avoided ‘eye contact’ and never spoke to him.
‘We had the engagement party, I got given the gold… I put on the face. But I didn’t feel anything because by that stage I was already planning my escape.’

Ms Farrah hatched an escape plan to return to Australia on her 18th birthday and was helped by the British Embassy to return to Sydney.
A neighbour, who was around the same age as Ms Farrah, had passed her the phone number for the embassy.
 
But she had to wait until she was 18 before officials were legally allowed to help her.
When she was legally an adult, they told her a woman would wait for her at the Four Seasons hotel in Damascus. Ms Farrah crept out her house and jumped into a taxi while her grandmother was asleep after morning prayer. 

Feeling trapped and desperate, she said: ‘If I didn’t get out I was going to kill myself that day.’
Luckily an official was waiting for her at the hotel and gave her a ‘big hug’. They then travelled to the Jordanian border with two body guards and after a tense conversation with Syrian border patrol, Ms Farrah was on her way to freedom and back to Australia.
‘It was early morning when we arrived and we flew over Sydney Harbour,’ Ms Farrah recalled tearfully of arriving back in her homeland.
She said her mother and family in Australia has never asked about her time in Syria or asked how she was feels to be home.

And although she is out of Syria, she is still terrified her father will track her down and has taken out a restraining order against him.

Unfortunately Ms Farrah’s story is not as rare as it might seem. 

The Immigrant Women’s Health Service in Fairfield, in Sydney’s west, has rescued 62 child brides from Iraqi, Afghani, Pakistani, Indian, Egyptian, Turkish and Sudanese families over the past three years.

Culled from UK Daily Mail

132 comments:

Anonymous said...

mama_ih@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

mama_ih@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

mama_ih@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

mama_ih@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

mama_ih@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

mama_ih@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

mama_ih@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

mama_ih@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

mama_ih@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

mama_ih@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Evil dat men do even d devil dey fear... Thnk God for her life

Unknown said...

Jst hate d religion dat supports child-marriage...

Unknown said...

D evil dat men so even d devil dey fear.. Thnk God for her life

Unknown said...

Evil dat men do even d devil dey fear... Thnk God for her life

Unknown said...

Evil dat men do even d devil dey fear... Thnk God for her life

BONARIO NNAGS said...

Bizarre!
What a cruel act by her father, which other betrayal equals this?

~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA LUMIA

LYNNE said...

Spooky tins happening evrywea! May God have mercy on us all! ogooakpa@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Wat a cruel world we live in....her father for that matter....*tufia*

BONARIO NNAGS said...

Bizarre!
What a cruel act by her dad

~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA LUMIA

Debbie Chelsea said...

Hmmmmmmmm

Anonymous said...

So sad adenchidubem@gmail.com

Alloy Chikezie said...

What a horrible act, not only was the girl too young, she was also forced into incest, what a world


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Mondola Stainless(Mojabeh@yahoo.com) said...

YOBO AND KESHI RESIGNS

Unknown said...

Dis world is somtin else

Alloy Chikezie said...

What a horrible act, not only was the girl too young, she was also forced into incest, what a world


Your comment will be visible after approval

CHERRY said...

Such is life!

Emmy oly said...

Chei nti m anujiola ihe, dis is nt marriage na pure modern day slavery oliination20@gmail.com

Yinka said...

Sad. Really unfair

Anonymous said...

whoa!!! So terrible, its so bad and hurts so much if 1 suffers such from family. lvlylady247@gmail.com

Angie said...

Bikonu, are all these inhumanity to kids part of moslem religion way of life??
I seriously cannot understand this religion; some say it's not whilst others say it is..
May God help us all!


* My R1.50c comment *

Anonymous said...

Wow...dats quite horrific....jumoke.olaleye@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Evil dat men do nwadays even d devil is afraid.. Thnk God for her life

Unknown said...

Na wha o, Is not in only Ojuelegba many things Dey happening, but around the world. God ll help us. ⌣̊┈̥-̶̯͡»̶̥♡thanks ⌣̊┈̥-̶̯͡»̶̥ 

Anonymous said...

Lord have mercy
greatladyofgod@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

God please protect innocent children.

Unknown said...

What the hell i thought there were maniacs only in Africa. And Islam nations

dhobiz said...

Hmmm that religion has more of bad than good influence on its worshippers........very bad

Anonymous said...

Thank God she made it back to Australia.

@MEETD®EALEVANS™ said...

Be sure of this: the wicked shall not go unpunished. Prov. 11:21

Anonymous said...

ld
Misspassion2004@yahoo.com

angel said...

Sometimes I wonder and I still do wonder, the female gender have to face and endure a lot more than men do. The torture, rape, slavery, etc. Its aNnoying. Some men; fathers, uncles, brothers, cousins should be castrated honestly.

Bosslady said...

Wonders shall never end!!! uchechiudensi@gmail.com

Sisi Vales said...

poor thing, God save us from wicked idiots oh. All guys that are commenting try not to be like this chics father or brother...
enuff said.

nwanyioma said...

Na wao! even ur own father? things people do !

Unknown said...

STRANGE STORIES EVERY DAY

Unknown said...

Serious

Helen said...

Quite unfortunate

Helen said...

Quite unfortunat. Ijhelen@yahoo.com

olori ohlhuwhasheun said...

Na wa ooo,,,,may God 4giv thm..

Helen said...

Quite unfortunate ijhelen@yahoo.com

Zion Baby said...

Nawaooo..shit happens ooo..Lovelyxtain22@gmail.com

Unknown said...

The level of wickedness in Some humans increases drastically to its highest maximum, this man is too animalistic for dehumanizing his own daughter. He needs to be fried.

Anonymous said...

Her dad was very mean and callous

Anonymous said...

ALL THIS PAEDOPHILES SHOULD JUST BE HANGED ALREADY,COUSIN KE? GOD HAVE MERCY ON THIS MUSLIM PEOPLE,s.imoh@yahoo.com

pretty Janice said...

Feel so sorry 4 her,thankGod she escaped,most of dem aren't so lucky.

Anonymous said...

ALL THIS PAEDOPHILES SHOULD JUST BE HANGED ALREADY,COUSIN KE? GOD HAVE MERCY ON THIS MUSLIM PEOPLE,s.imoh@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I think say na for 9ja(north) alone. Jewel

Beauty said...

Hmmmm........lyk seriously end time things.beautymadu90@gmail.com

Unknown said...

How pathetic

Unknown said...

Lord have mercy!

Anonymous said...

Wat a sad story! Happy she escaped @ d end.



Mrs DAvido

Schola's Oasis said...

The things that happens in other countries are more worse than the ones that happens in nigeria. God help your children

Unknown said...

First to comment...
Bouquiowobs@gmail.com

Muna said...

It is so sad that girls are given off at a really young age. Kudos to the girl who was kidnapped because she emerged victorious in the end.

chidimma williams said...

What kind of inhuman, wicked and barbaric religion are dis muslim practising. Wicked people. I taught dis is only happening in nigeria.

Anonymous said...

Mheeeen her father is a 'bastard'!!!!hw can he be so mean 2 his own daughter & @ such a young age???!!dis is a story beta imagined dan told...thank God 4 her escape from d horrible ordeal...Muslims though...sickening!!!

Unknown said...

Devils in human form! Such men should be locked behind bars n d keys thrown into the ocean...
sleekchinny10@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Not fair. What cruelty!

Amarachukwu. said...

This kind thing dey happen for that side?

TeeDayo said...

And d same evil Nigeria was abt to practise.too bad.the mentality of dese muslims,jst too bad.imagine kidnapping ur own daughter,nw hw weird is that?

cherry said...

Na wa o...hmm!#jst passing#giftedchi@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

This is abomination
God have mercy

♥ ȊƦȋƺȟ ƘƦȋϻ ♥ said...

Wait abeg dem no kill d@ her person,cos if I wz d 1 I wil surely kill d man...I wonder if sum pple hv human feelns...

Cynthia Iyede said...

Wickedness of d highest order.

tinubriggs said...

Nah wah ooooo..na by force to marry?

Cynthia Iyede said...

Linda I forgot to add my email. I've commented b4...cynthiaiyede01@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

HM! NA WA OOOOOOOO..........

Anonymous said...

Ow cld e do dys 2 es own child#smh#...seyieavos@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

so pathetic, goldings23@yahoo.com

Olubukola Ozone said...

Ehya... Sowie. Blame it on d family u wr born into

ZeeZee said...

Wicked world we live in... its usually the muslims..smh

dat same boy said...

Hmmm...God dey oo!

DOBY DOBY said...

Muslims nd deir wahala

kels Ekwensu Hotbill$ said...

MmMmMm Say NO TO CHILD BRIDE..


SCHOOLU THEM DONT BRIDE THEM


forevermadekels@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

And this is what they want to start in nigeria abi? Mtcheew , diaris god o.

Mrs.A.

Anonymous said...

First off... linda, I do not think a 13yrs old can be kidnapped by her family per-say, especially since she was not bagged.

2ndly, granted child marriage is bad, but I hv come to learn and understand hw important virginity of their daught is to these families. Most of them wld rather marry off their 5 yr old daughter rather than let her loose her virginity.

And what the heck was a 7th grader doing smoking? I think she was married to her cousin becoz she was no longer a virgin. Trying to keep the "shame" in the family.

Plz dnt ask me what the big deal is ... virgin or no virgin (personally, I cldnt care less), bit I think its lile asking an igbo man what the big deal about their "outcast system" is

Anonymous said...

First off... linda, I do not think a 13yrs old can be kidnapped by her family per-say, especially since she was not bagged.

2ndly, granted child marriage is bad, but I hv come to learn and understand hw important virginity of their daught is to these families. Most of them wld rather marry off their 5 yr old daughter rather than let her loose her virginity.

And what the heck was a 7th grader doing smoking? I think she was married to her cousin becoz she was no longer a virgin. Trying to keep the "shame" in the family.

Plz dnt ask me what the big deal is ... virgin or no virgin (personally, I cldnt care less), bit I think its lile asking an igbo man what the big deal about their "outcast system" is

Nigeriadoctor2 said...

Endtimes

Yetinde said...

Na wa o,so its everywhere.o maa gaa o.

Unknown said...

In this recent world people still get to go through all these...smh

Unknown said...

some People with abnormal mentality
some people need brain cleaner
THANK GOD, she Excape



BORN TO SHINE!!!

Nat said...

That is so bad!how can u subject your child to this kind of life?thank God for d liberty we have in Christ.

Unknown said...

Na wa o..

C.E.O

Anonymous said...

dats wickedness,babe buy rat poison.

Shanding2k2... said...

Wickedness in high places, when will all this people learn to receive salvation? Islam this Islam that Y?

Hismajesty said...

I thought this only happens in Nigeria.. Child marriage what wicked world..

Anonymous said...

I really think its not about religion anymore but wickedness of man.

Nwafor Chizzy said...

Na wa ooo

Anonymous said...

If not for lust, evil and selfish laws, what would a 30 years old man be doing with a teenager? They marry these girls, use them and marry another once the first turns 25/30 years. Women are being manipulated and abused in the name of religion and traddition. In Abuja its a common thing to see the moslem girl at about that age chasing after the christian man seeking attentiom because of course Alhaji is tired and bored. They are not as romantic as the southern women either. They are ready to spend anything to get a mans attention. God free these people. Koko.

Anonymous said...

Even oyibo sef dey do child bride. Wonderful!

Unknown said...

Smh

Ozed said...

So child abuse,under age marriage,forced marriage exiist in Australia,the so called advance country?

Unknown said...

wow ,wow wow, what a wicked father. God will deal with him... ah

Anonymous said...

Its well! Pretex4luv@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

God have mercy, what a disaster! Married @ 13!!!

Anonymous said...

Where is d world turning to::::::::::hmmmmmm

Estrella said...

This just reminds me that there are many women out there who are not enjoying the limited freedom we women over here have. She is a very brave woman. I hope she will be able to move on with her life.Its quite unfortunate that in these types of situations, the father or his family cannot be charged with committing a crime so he goes scot free..

Anonymous said...

I feel for this girl, traumatized and terrified right from the age of 13. How can her father behave so beastly to his flesh and blood. We as individuals have the right to choose our religion. This world is truly coming to an end coz the stories we hear everyday is quite disturbing. #PICCANTO#lausmithuj@gmail.com

bizzy bright said...

Hmmm nw wa.. Muslims and their cruelty..

Unknown said...

Muslims all over the world have violent spirit, demonised animals marrying children and claiming God sent them. i dislike this kind of belief with passion. unfortunately the yoruba muslims are not like this, its the hausas and all these aliens in those God-forsaken countries that have this brutal devilish behaviour. May God save us from ndi nmo.

JOYCHY said...

Oh no...dis is just so sad.
without any fear or mincing words, Islam/Muslims are hard hearthered beings. Most of dem are just wicked 2 dere born marrows.

Wen a father can do dis 2 his own child, talk more of others. #Wicked Generation

Yinx said...

People should realize that there's difference between culture and religion.

Anonymous said...

Pls hw z dis our problem. wehave gigantic issues in dis country. football we no win, chibok gurls we neva bring back, lagos is getting flooded, no solution, doctors still owed salaries, schools on strike, and d height of it all boko haram neva die.

Anonymous said...

Pls hw z dis our problem. wehave gigantic issues in dis country. football we no win, chibok gurls we neva bring back, lagos is getting flooded, no solution, doctors still owed salaries, schools on strike, and d height of it all boko haram neva die.

phunshaw said...

May God punish the person that introduced Islam as a religion.What a barbaric act from a stupid set of people.Same religion that allows a 45yr old man to marry a 13yr old girl (that happened in Kano)...Jeez! They aint tired of killing innocent souls even during the so called Ramadan period.Yet they will say islam is a religion of peace...imagine that.Islam is a religion of Shit/killers

phunshaw said...

May God punish the person that introduced Islam as a religion.What a barbaric act from a stupid set of people.Same religion that allows a 45yr old man to marry a 13yr old girl (that happened in Kano)...Jeez! They aint tired of killing innocent souls even during the so called Ramadan period.Yet they will say islam is a religion of peace...imagine that.Islam is a religion of Shit/killers

Anonymous said...

Life isn't supposed to be like this. Islam is s'posed to be a religion of peace. And is that man even really her father? And that crazy pervert her cousin? Cruel world

Anonymous said...

Horrific experience! May God give her the grace to forget her torture. God save us from false Islamic practice.

Anonymous said...

Linda, u just go about digging out all these stories so christains can come and lash out at muslims again on your blog. You are one of the greatest problems among yoiths in nigeria. Linda ikeji, u will answer wen the time comes.

Anonymous said...

Linda, you should get a better IT persons to work on your website, this slow upload and delay publish is becoming alarming!!!!!

APPLE said...

Nah muslim family.

ADANICE said...

Nawaoooooo

give urselves brain said...

and it goes on..keeps getting worse...bad news everywhere...Linda,i cld really do good with dat ur giveaway...u knw..put a lil smile on my face in d face of all d nad news...seems its only bad people dt exist now in Nigeria and d world at large...if 50k no reach me,i go manage 25k aswear...oya abeg

Anonymous said...

sometimes I place me hand under my chin and support my head and look up to the sky and imagine this world without ISLAM and all i see in that imaginative world is soo much peace and stability

Anonymous said...

that man rocks EVIL like music.........................His own daughter?

Anonymous said...

Wickedness from the religion of Islam, just look at the countries mentioned, all predominantly islamic countries. When will you moderate muslims open your eyes and see you follow a barbaric faith that condones and justifies pedophilia, murder and all sorts of atrocities againt the human race

Anonymous said...

Pls shut up if you dont have somfin constructive to say.

Anonymous said...

All of you hypocrite christians didn't blame Christianity for that ritualistic pastor o! But now that a ,us lim is involved you start blaming Islam. Thunder fire your mouths!

CHRISTIANITY = HYPOCRISY + LIES

Anonymous said...

All of you hypocrite christians didn't blame Christianity for that ritualistic pastor o! But now that a Muslim is involved you start blaming Islam. Thunder fire your mouths!

CHRISTIANITY = HYPOCRISY + LIES

Anonymous said...

If there's sth am not doing right tell me,so I'll know your reasons of not posting my comments @ikejiofor linda

Unknown said...

This is the reason why men should start carrying pregnancies so that they know how it feels when they throw a woman's labour and hardwork to the bushes

bae said...

May God purnish you for that blasphemy.muslims are not perfect but islam is and there is differnce between culture and religion...fear what yo dont know.

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