Saudi Arabia: Groom divorces bride on wedding day when he finally sees her face

[davidn3600]

A Saudi groom has divorced his bride on their wedding night after seeing her face for the first time when the photographer asked them to pose for pictures.

The couple, from the Western Saudi town of Medinah, had agreed to marry each other despite having not met face to face - a popular custom in certain Middle Eastern countries.

But when the bride removed her veil and smiled for the camera, her new husband leapt to his feet in disgust.

'You are not the girl I want to marry,' he declared. 'You are not the one I had imagined. I am sorry, but I divorce you.'

According to local daily Okaz, the bride immediately collapsed in a fit of tears as panicked wedding guests stepped in to try to resolve the dispute.

But their efforts were to no avail.

'The groom said he had not been able to see his bride's face before marriage,' Okaz reported. 'When he divorced her, the bride collapsed and the wedding turned into a night of tears.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2837721/Saudi-husband-tells-bride-wants-divorce-wedding-seeing-face-time-photographer-asked-pose-pictures.html

[MiniMe]

1. The bride is very pretty

[RebelOne]

2. That is not the bride and groom. It is a stock photo if you read the article. n/t

[malaise]

3. I'd rather be called a dirty dishrag

than marry a stranger - how cruel is this

[KamaAina]

8. Why was that necessary?

[Hekate]

5. The only thing that would be worse for her is if they had consummated the marriage

This way at least she's not "used" and stands a chance of being able to marry someone of sounder mind. Hopefully HIS reputation will be ruined -- fathers everywhere will think twice about investing any money in wedding arrangements and a dowry to give a daughter to this jerk.

[riderinthestorm]

6. Ugh. Arranged marriages...

Awful story and awful situation.

[LittleBlue]

7. Cruel and shallow

Lucky for her to be rid of him.

[stevenleser]

9. I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often in both directions.

Imagine marrying and contemplating being intimate immediately (that night) and 'forever' with someone you have never before met or seen. Then it turns out any one of:

1. The person is a jerk
2. The person has very bad personal hygiene
3. The person is the opposite of what you find physically attractive (tall vs short/short vs tall, thin vs thick/thick vs thin, etc)
etc.

I really am surprised there aren't more wedding day divorces.

[KayLaw]

10. Our dear friends, the Saudis?

Just like the Saudi prince who runs Fox News? Him?

[Brigid]

11. And what would have happened if . . .

She had decided she didn't like *his* face? After all, she hadn't seen *him* before either.

[Number23]

12. She should fall on her knees in thanks every night for a lifetime