Interesting. It seems that they think the growing problem is serious enough to “study” it. From Al-Arabiya:

The Saudi Ministries of Interior and Social Affairs, in collaboration with the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, are conducting a study on runaway girls, press reports said Wednesday.

The move comes as the number of girls who ran away from their families hit 3,000, according to Saudi newspaper Okaz. Other local papers have reported that 850 of the runaways were under the age of 14.

Psychiatrist Mohei Abdullah Al-Qurani, who heads the psychotherapy center in the southwestern governorate of Baljorashi, attributes the girls’ behavior to the absence of devout religiosity and to family problems.

According to Qurani, the solution is to raise children in accordance with Islamic principles and constantly monitor their behavior and circle of friends.

Qurani said adolescence is the most critical phase as girls are emotionally, psychologically and socially at their most vulnerable. Parents, he adds, should offer love and care to compensate for the deficiency.

The social affairs director in the Mecca Region, Ihsan Tayeb, warned in earlier press statements that a lack of monitoring and negligence on the part of parents are the main reasons behind the phenomenon.

I’ve highlighted the explanations from a couple of Saudi officials as to why there seem to be so many runaways now. Of course, it’s the fault of the families and the lack of religious zeal on the part of the girls.

It couldn’t possibly be that these young girls see clearly the life that awaits them in the loving arms of Sharia and don’t want to live like someone else’s third-rate possession and be doomed to a life of beatings, unending labor, and even death if they step out of line, could it?