Girl rescued from Arab remarries

Twelve years after she was married to an aged Arab and offloaded from a Gulf-bound flight in Delhi, Ameena, 23, tied the knot with a teacher at a simple ceremony in Hyderabad on Sunday night.

The nikah (Muslim wedding ceremony) was performed in the house of one of Ameena's relatives in Musheerabad locality. About 50 relatives and neighbours attended the function amidst media glare. In fact, journalists and press photographers outnumbered the guests.

The function was delayed for nearly three hours as the bridegroom wanted to avoid the media. When he finally made it to the venue, the qazi (priest) declined to perform the nikah until he was shown documentary evidence that Ameena had been divorced.

However, an undertaking attested by two witnesses was given to the qazi pointing out that a court had declared her marriage void.

It was also pointed out that, as per shariat (Islamic law), a person could remarry if he/she had not met the spouse for seven years or more.

Thereafter, the qazi performed the nikah of 45-year-old Mohammed Abdul Majeed with Ameena. The bridegroom agreed to pay mehr (alimony) of Rs 5,500 and one dinar surkh (one tola gold) to the bride. It was Majeed's second marriage too.

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