Romance in the Middle East can be a minefield. First there is the prevalent phenomenon of incestuous cousin marriages. Not only does it happen, it is often viewed as the optimal course of events. Forgive a culturally insensitive "yuck!" This issue is finally making some headlines casting some much-needed doubt on the practice.Well, let's say you do it right, and are looking for a girl who isn't a close blood relative. Well, don't even think about trying to walk up and talk to them. You might just end up in a Saudi jail (read here). Instead, you'll need a willing mediator to help facilitate the relationship.
Which brings me to this (hilarious) story coming out of Dubai. It had all the makings of a succesfull Arabian marriage: engagement between non-relatives, a mother acting as mediator, and a wealthy diplomat who based his decision on a photograph provided by the mother. What could possibly go wrong?
They met on multple occaisions, but the bride-to-be donned the all-covering niqab (pictured above). But he had seen her photo, right?
Well....no. Turns out, the cunning mother provided the rich diplomat with a picture of the intended bride's sister (who must be pretty hot). He made this discovery when he lifted her veil at the wedding ceremony. To make a long story short, let me copy a line from the news item:
"An Arab country's ambassador to Dubai has had his marriage contract annulled after discovering the bride was cross-eyed and had facial hair."
Shocking! Everyone knows you should shave before your wedding.
