In a now-deleted Tweet, BBC Asian network asked viewers if they ‘respected the decision’ of a teenager who fled Saudi Arabia saying she would be killed for renouncing Islam.

The Tweet read, ’18-year-old Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun fled Saudi Arabia as she said her family would kill her for choosing to leave Islam – do you respect her decision?’

The Tweet was rapidly picked up by Media Guido – and the BBC posted an edited version minus the part about ‘respecting her decision.’

Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun/Human Rights Watch

We have deleted the tweet about our earlier discussion on Rahuf al-Qunun. The question we asked on air “How do you feel about the 18 year old Saudi woman's decision to leave her family and religion?” was aimed at our listeners who… 1/2 — BBC Asian Network (@bbcasiannetwork) January 9, 2019

had faced similar dilemmas in their own life regarding family and religion. We received several calls from people empathising with Miss al-Qunun’s situation. We are sorry the original wording about “respecting her decision” was open to misinterpretation 2/2. — BBC Asian Network (@bbcasiannetwork) January 9, 2019

Irate readers responded on Twitter with comments such as ‘You’re a waste of taxpayer’s money,’ and the BBC rapidly deleted the Tweet and apologised.




A BBC Spokesperson said: “We accept that the original wording of our tweet did not reflect the question being posed on air and was open to misinterpretation.

‘We took action to remove the tweet and clarify the question, which was aimed at Asian Network listeners who had faced their own issues regarding family and religion. On the programme the audience responded positively to the debate topic and shared powerful stories of bein’g in similar situations regarding family and religion issues in the UK.’

BBC Asian Network previously stirred up controversy with a Tweet asking, ‘What is the right punishment for blasphemy?’

What is the right punishment for blasphemy? Tweet @ShaziaAwan with what you think using the hashtag #AsianNetwork pic.twitter.com/HVAKQrdhBr — BBC Asian Network (@bbcasiannetwork) March 17, 2017

Australia has said it will assess the runaway Saudi woman for settlement after the United Nations deemed her a refugee.

The Department of Home Affairs confirmed that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had referred 18-year-old Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun to Australia for consideration for refugee settlement.

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Ms Alqunun arrived in Bangkok on a flight from Kuwait on Saturday and planned to continue to Australia, for which she held a tourist visa.

But after being detained by Thai authorities, she refused to board a flight back to Kuwait, barricading herself in a hotel room.

After publicising her case via social media, saying she feared for her safety if made to return home to her family, she was placed in the care of UNHCR workers as her bid for refugee status was considered.

It led to her referral to Australia on Wednesday.

‘The UNHCR has referred Ms Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun to Australia for consideration for refugee resettlement,’ Australia’s Home Affairs Department said.

It added that it would ‘consider this referral in the usual way, as it does with all UNHCR referrals’.