August 5- Hamas Mass Wedding

August 5- Hamas Mass Wedding, originally uploaded by anonimoh2005.

Palestinian girls attend a mass wedding ceremony for 120 couples organised by the Islamic Association at the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza August 5, 2005. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem



Hamas mass wedding: Check the bride at the door



Khaleb Abu Toameh



[July 28 ] the militant group [Hamas] organized a mass wedding for 452 couples in the sports stadium in Nablus. Attended by many Hamas leaders in the West Bank, the ceremony is believed to be the biggest mass wedding of Palestinians ever held.

In a culture where appearances count, Arab weddings can be horrendously expensive.

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For many poverty-stricken Palestinian families, the mass weddings mean marriage ceremonies can take place without the crippling expense of a mahr (dowry) or a private party, which can run to tens of thousands of dollars. Most of these grooms are sons or relatives of Palestinians killed in the violence over the past four and a half years.

The role of themahr in Islamic marriages has sometimes been interpreted as a bride-price. For many Muslims, it is purely symbolic, just as white dresses, diamond engagement rings and gold wedding bands are symbols in traditional Western marriages. However, in many cases, the mahr serves as an insurance policy, payable to the woman in full if her husband remarries or divorces her.

Hamas, whose name means Islamic Resistance Movement, is clearly using the ceremonies to further promote its image as a positive institution in Palestinian society.

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Khaled al-Bahtini, one of the organizers of the gathering, said each couple received a gift of $200 - $300 in cash, in addition to wedding rings and bedroom and other furniture.

Islamic Jihad leader Nafez Azzam said the event was aimed at demonstrating that his group was interested in all aspects of life, especially on the social level.

"We want to send a message to the Tel Aviv government that their disastrous policies won't stop us from rejoicing and pursuing normal life. We don't like bloodshed, but this is something that has been imposed on us," asserted Azzam.

"This is a great day for all of us and we want to thank Hamas for this gesture," said Ali Khalil, 26, one of the 452 grooms at the Nablus ceremony. "Had it not been for Hamas, I would not have been able to cover the expenses of a wedding."

Another groom, 28-year-old Hassan Ghanem, said such events strengthen Hamas's status among Palestinians. "Hamas is the only group that is helping the young people here," he added. "For many of us, they are the future."



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