Mother of missing girl fears child is trapped in dangerous situation
Fleeing the ravages of the Syrian war when she was just a baby, Zahraa Al Aazawi has only ever known the open spaces, the freedom and the safety of Canadian soil.
But since the 11-year-old honours student never returned from a summer trip to Egypt with her father last year, Zahraa’s mother fears her only child is trapped in a dangerous situation and increasingly desperate to come home.
“I cannot even tell you what I am thinking, what I am afraid she must be going through, she is a girl after all, and very mature for her age,” Zainab Mahdi said in an exclusive interview with Postmedia on Tuesday.
“Canada is the safest place for her, it’s why we chose it. We wanted to take her away from all the kidnapping and the war. It doesn’t make sense to have her back in the fire.”
The Calgary Police Service has appealed to the public for information on the whereabouts of Zahraa, who travelled from Calgary to Egypt with her father in June 2018. She was scheduled to arrive back in Canada in September 2018, but has not returned to Calgary.
The girl’s father, Ali Al Aazawi, 38, returned to Canada alone last month and has since been charged with international kidnapping and parental abduction after failing to comply with a family court order that said the girl was to be returned to her mother in September 2018. Zahraa’s parents divorced several years ago.
Apart from the criminal charges, Al Aazawi, who is still in custody, also faced a contempt of court hearing last week. He was instead ordered by a Court of Queen’s Bench judge to follow seven steps to bring the girl back to Canada, including identifying her location, purchasing her plane ticket and ensuring her safe return.
Al Aazawi is scheduled to be back in court Thursday to follow up on those steps with his lawyer.
Meanwhile, city police are still asking for help from the public, particularly members of Calgary’s Iraqi community, to share any information with police so the girl can be safely returned home.
Mahdi said she spoke with Zahraa as recently as April, but said her daughter did not sound at all like herself.
“She sounded afraid, like someone was whispering in her ear, telling her what to say,” Mahdi said.
“She was trying to speak another language, but she didn’t really know what she was saying.”
Mahdi believes her daughter completed sixth grade in Iraq, but has struggled with the language and the different style of learning.
“I think she has failed school there,” Mahdi said. “She was supposed to be starting junior high with her friends here.”
Mahdi wants more than anything for her daughter to return to her life in Calgary, where she enjoyed a large group of close friends in the community of Midnapore and good grades in all of her subjects, especially math.
“She loves sports, gymnastics, soccer, and acting, too. She loves acting for her teachers and other students.
“She has been very missed by her teachers and her friends.”
Mahdi said that many of Zahraa’s friends have tried to contact her through social media but have not heard back.
An especially close friend, who now lives in Ontario, has called Mahdi several times in tears, worried about the whereabouts of her friend. “But my daughter has not posted anything on social media. I don’t think she has any access to the internet.”
Mahdi is now studying at Bow Valley College to become a teaching assistant, but she has found it impossible to focus on her schoolwork.
“I feel isolated, like I can’t trust people anymore. My life is only my daughter. It’s really hard, so I can only just pray.”
But Mahdi still holds out hope her daughter will safely return to Canada and pursue her dream of becoming a doctor — the perfect vocation for a strong student who cares deeply about the needs of others.
“She is my little princess, my very unique, very sensitive baby.
“She is kind, intelligent, someone who always cares about others, who wants to help everyone in need.”
Anyone with information about Zahraa’s whereabouts is asked to call the Calgary Police Service’s non-emergency line at 403-2661234. Tips can also be left anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at calgarycrimestoppers.org.