ZAINEB CHAUDHARY - 16 yo - Skokie/Chicago IL

Illinois police are searching for a missing teenage girl who authorities say ran away from home to avoid an arranged
marriage, MyFoxChicago.com reports.
Zaineb Chaudhary, 16, was last seen March 11 at Niles North High School in Skokie IL.
Officer Tammy Jacobsen of the Skokie Police Department told the station that Zaineb's father visited his native Pakistan in October to arrange a marriage for his daughter.
"He has stated that he was there, looking for marriage arrangement for his daughter," Jacobsen said in an interview.
Police said the girl's disappearance could be viewed as a disgrace by her
family and want to protect her from any possible "honor crime," according to the station.
"She can come to us and we're going to make
sure that she's taken care of and that she can feel safe while returning
or contact us," Jacobsen said. "We have a girl, raised here in the United States, being raised here in a different culture than where her parents are from, trying to accept the Western ways here."
Authorities believe the girl may have posed as a 19-year-old on a social networking site so that she could escape to
El Monte, Calif., with a 39-year-old man she met online.
The man, whom authorities have not identified, was questioned by police.
The girl's 13-year-old sister, meanwhile, has issued a plea for Zaineb's safe return.
"I just want her to know that she can come home and we're not going to like hurt her or anything because we just want
her to be happy and we want her to be safe," Maryam Chaudhary told the station.
Police are urging anyone with information on
Zaineb Chaudhary's whereabouts to contact the Skokie Police Department at (847) 982-5900.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/04/15/illinois-girl-ran-away-home-avoid-arranged-marriage-police-say/#ixzz1Jbj1Tbte

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/missing-pakistani-girl-zaineb-chaudhary-may-be-in-danger-20110414
Missing 16-Year-Old Zaineb Chaudhary May Be in Danger


Updated: Friday, 15 Apr 2011, 1:52 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 14 Apr 2011, 9:35 PM CDT

By Tisha Lewis, FOX Chicago News


Chicago - Illinois State Police are looking
for a 16-year-old Zaineb Chaudhary and believe she may be in danger.
Investigators said Chaudhary ran away from her home in Skokie last
month in order to avoid an arranged marriage. It has been 34
days since Chaudhary was last seen. Police said the teen may have posed
as a 19-year-old on a social media website. She could be in El Monte,
Calif. with a 39-year-old man she met online. He was interviewed, but
there are still several unanswered questions.
Investigators said a clash of two cultures caused the teen to run
away from home. She was last seen on March 11 at Niles North High
School in Skokie. “I just want her to know that she can come
home and we're not going to like hurt her or anything because we just
want her to be happy and we want her to be safe,” said Chaudhary’s
13-year-old sister, Maryam Chaudhary. Chaudhary's little sister
went silent as she sat between her parents who asked her to make a plea
for her sister's safe return home.

“Maybe you're safe, maybe you're not. We just want to know that
you're happy, safe, so just let us know that you're still ok,”
Chaudhary said. “Well we have a girl, raised here in the United
States, being raised here in a different culture than where her parents
are from, trying to accept the Western ways here,” Officer Tammy
Jacobsen of the Skokie Police Department said. A joint
investigation between the Skokie and Illinois State Police Departments
indicates Chaudhary's father visited Pakistan in October. “He has stated that he was there, looking for marriage arrangement for his daughter,” Jacobsen said. Arranged
marriage is an integral part of traditional Pakistani culture, but it
can cause conflicts with young Pakistanis in this country.

Investigators said the teen may have been living a double life: one at home and another in high school. They fear Chaudhary's family could view her disappearance as a disgrace, which could lead to what's known as an “honor crime.” Women are killed for refusing to agree to an arranged marriage in “honor crimes.” According
to Ron Synovitz with the Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, there are
reports of more than 4,000 honor killings across Pakistan since 1998.
“Any resources we have we will reach out to help her with that, that
she has no fear of coming home,” Jacobsen said. “Anything that may have
happened in the household, she can come to us and we're going to make
sure that she's taken care of and that she can feel safe while
returning or contact us.” If you have any information on Zaineb Chaudhary’s whereabouts, call the Skokie Police Department at 847-982-5900.

Police said missing Skokie teen Zaineb Chaudhary , 16, has been found Wednesday. She was turned into the Skokie Police Department at 2 a.m. by an unidentified individual. Police
said she was in good health but "tired emotionally and physically."
They believe she stayed in the local area, though there were plans to
leave Chicago. Police said she did run away fearing arranged marriage. The investigator said someone saw a report of her disappearance on FOX Chicago News.
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/zaineb-chaudhary-missing-skokie-teenager-calls-police-pakistani-arranged-marriage-20110420