Rebel cover art

Rebel

My Escape from Saudi Arabia to Freedom

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Rebel

By: Rahaf Mohammed
Narrated by: anonymous
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About this listen

In January 2019, then 18-year-old Saudi woman Rahaf Mohammed escaped from her family while holidaying in Kuwait.

She was fleeing systematic abuse of her human rights as a woman growing up in Saudi Arabia and, specifically, her family's threats to kill her because she desired the freedoms Western women take for granted.

She boarded a plane bound for Bangkok, en route to Australia, where she intended to seek asylum. But on her arrival, the Thai authorities, acting on the instructions of Saudi officials, detained Rahaf with the aim of returning her to her family. Knowing this would mean her death, Rahaf barricaded herself in an airport hotel room and appealed for help through social media, creating a Twitter storm and capturing the attention of government leaders, human rights advocates and media around the world.

Rahaf was eventually taken under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and granted refugee status. When Australian authorities failed to respond with the urgency the situation required, she was granted asylum in Canada. Seven days after her ordeal began, she arrived in Toronto to begin a new life.

Rebel is a passionate story by a woman who refused to allow a system to define who she was and what she could be. It shines a light on the rampant and dangerous inequalities that persist in Saudi society and inspires women everywhere to dream of a better future for themselves and their daughters.

©2022 Rahaf Mohammed Enterprises Inc. (P)2021 Macmillan Australia Audio
Activists Freedom & Security Politics & Activism Politics & Government Women Human Rights Middle East Iran

Critic Reviews

"Rebel makes it clear that the cultural honour/shame dynamic and the male guardianship system continue to weigh heavily on the daily lives of Saudi women.... Rahaf ultimately fled the kingdom, under cover of darkness by the skin of her teeth, in order to spread her wings." (Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of Infidel)

"The astonishing story of how one incredibly courageous teenager took on Saudi Arabia's archaic male guardianship system and won! An inspiring read that will leave you shaking with fury, and then cheering in solidarity." (Sophie McNeill, Human Rights Watch)

All stars
Most relevant  
What a courageous woman. I praise her for her courage and tenacity.
I wish women everywhere living in oppression- they too find peace and happiness free of this type of atrocity.

Courageous

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Such an powerful and insightful book. Could not stop listening. It gives one a lot to think about when it come to womans rights. Would definitely recommend!

Wow what a strong woman!

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Absolute eye opener on the blatant basic human right violations happening in Saudi Arabia for women . Very interesting book and I am not sure what couple of other reviewers are complaining about but I found the narrator excellent.

An eye opener

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I loved this book, her story, her bravery, her tenacious spirit and the fire in her belly. As i sit here in Australia it allowed me to walk in her shoes and feel empathy. She is the kind of woman i would love as a friend; spirited and couragess, just like my core group of girlfriends. I hope one day sge makes it to aussie on holiday.

incredible Story

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This is such an incredible story. Very well written and the Narrator was engaging and well paced. This story really highlights the ongoing struggled faced by so many women across the world. thank you for sharing your story Rahaf.

Powerful story - couldn't stop listening!

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I enjoyed this and found it very eye opening. A real inspiration for staying strong in the face of overwhelming obstacles and for staying true to your intuition.

Stays with you

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It is absolutely worth enduring the very terrible narration to listen to this story. It’s absolutely horrifying to think such atrocities are still being committed against women in Saudi Arabia. Truly an eye opener.

Really compelling story

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I recall news of this story on tv so was interested to hear the full account. It certainly shows how far our society has come from the oppression of women although we are still yet to achieve true equality. Manhood in the authors country, it would seem to me, is seen and upheld through an ideology that relies upon the oppression of women. The use of social media and eventual world exposure of the authors situation will hopefully bring about the social change that she seeks.
I agree with others regarding the poor narration of this audio.

Courageous

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God bless you and your bravery 😘 what a strong woman you are and I hope you have reached the women that are trapped in this hideous, male dominated society. They truly have no faith 😔 I'm sure there God would never condone their behaviour 🙏 I hope you have this most amazing future ❤️

Courageous

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Although this is a capturing story, the narration of this book was very difficult to listen to. I have never taken so long to finish an Audi book. Just goes to show that the narrator is as important as the story itself!

Very difficult to listen to.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.