According to the Canadian press, Nazia Quazi, a 24-year-old computer science graduate, has been prevented from leaving the Kingdom since 2007.

Quazi lived in Saudi Arabia before moving to Canada along with her mother and brothers to pursue their education where they were granted Canadian citizenship. Her father, Quazi Malik Abdul Gaffar, however, remained in Riyadh where he has been working for 25 years.

Quazi returned to Riyadh three years ago after a trip to India. Her father had asked her to visit him so they could perform Umrah. “He decided I was supposed to come to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, and be here for a week and then go back,” Quazi told the Canadian press.

“Once I got here, my dad took all of the documents. Now I require his permission to leave the country and he’s not ready to give it,” she said. Quazi and her father visited the Canadian Embassy in 2007, where she says her father told Canadian officials she was over 18 and therefore free to make her own choices.

An e-mail to Quazi from Allen Ward, who was the consul at the Canadian Embassy at the time, stated: “As we have said to you several times, you can come into the embassy any time, we are here to help ... I’m sure your father will not harm you, but, you need to think of things from your family’s side as well.”

Her father told her that he would give her the permission if her boyfriend, a non-Muslim who she met in Canada, came to Riyadh to marry her. Quazi added that the last time her boyfriend came to Saudi Arabia, her father had him arrested. He was released from jail after they promised to end the relationship.

“I don’t want marriage to be an answer for me to be leaving Saudi Arabia,” she said.

Her case has also attracted the support of the Canadian government, the Canadian Embassy and a Canadian group known as Muslims for Progressive Values Ottawa. She also has the support of Human Rights Watch and women’s groups in Riyadh.

“We have contacted the Saudi Human Rights Commission and the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to see how they can help us resolve this issue,” said Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to the Canadian minister of foreign affairs.

The Canadian newspaper report also stated that under Saudi law, women need the permission of their male guardian to leave the Kingdom. However, in the case of non-Saudis, women do not need their male guardian’s permission. Expatriates on the other hand need their sponsor’s approval.

The issue, however, seems to be more of a family dispute. Canadian officials have not revealed much information about the case. Sidney Fisher, the media relations officer at the Embassy of Canada in Riyadh, told Arab News that they are aware of Quazi’s case and are working to get her out of the Kingdom.

“Consulate officials are aware that she is seeking assistance. She is being contacted to help her go back to Canada,” said Fisher without disclosing more information on the matter.