Nazia Quazi is a normal 24-year-old Canadian woman with a University degree and a boyfriend of four years, but she faces a very abnormal problem.

For the past two years, Quazi’s father has held her against her will in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and on Thursday she told the CBC Radio One's morning program The Current she is afraid she may be trapped forever.

Quazi said her problem began when she fell in love with fellow University of Ottawa student and Indian citizen, Bjorn Singhal.

Quazi said that while Singhal converted to her religion of Hinduism, he was raised Muslim, and her parents are against the idea of her falling in love.

Quazi went to India with parents two years ago at their request, not knowing the danger she was about to be in.

Her father hit her, kicked her and banged her head against the wall, using physical force to try and persuade her to listen to them, she said.

Her mother was simply controlled by her father during this time and would not help her, Quazi added.

Quazi said though she was terrified, she refused to give in to her parents’ will and continued to fight for her right to make her own decisions.

Her father eventually stopped beating her, Quazi said, and began treating her kindly all in an attempt to convince her to go with him to Saudi Arabia on a religious pilgrimage, where he knew he could trap her, she claimed.

She said, while in India, her parents took away all of her Canadian identification from her passport, to her SIN card and even her degree.

Nadya Khalise is a researcher for the Middle East and Women’s Rights Divisions with Human Rights Watch in Beirut, Lebanon. She told TheDailyPlanet.com that Quazi contacted her last year with a desperate plea for help.

Khalise said her main obstacle in trying to help Quazi out of her dangerous situation is the Saudi male guardianship system, which she said makes it extremely difficult for a woman to leave the country without a male relative’s permission.

Khalise said she is frustrated by a lack of action in Quazi’s case and she is afraid she may suffer further abuse from her father before she can be freed.

Khalise said she has seen numerous cases like this one and that not enough is done to help the women trapped under an archaic system.

Khalise said she speaks to Quazi often and tries to soothe her fears, despite her own concern that this case is far from over.

Quazi seemed to share her mentor’s feelings when she told CBC Thursday that she is beginning to feel like those who have the power to change her situation, do not care enough to help her.

Quazi said she has sought the help of the Canadian embassy in Riyadh numerous times, but they tell her to listen to her father.

Quazi said her father has threatened her with death, saying that no one will care if he kills her because he will say he did it for honour.