SYRIA: Bride crosses Golan border to marry

Record ID: 279631

  • Title: SYRIA: Bride crosses Golan border to marry
  • Date: 5th January 2011
  • Summary: SAMAR SAYING GOOD-BYE TO HER FAMILY UN PEACE KEEPER WITH RED CROSS OFFICIAL SAMAR WEAVING TO HER FAMILY SAMAR'S SISTER CRYING SAMAR CROSSING THE CROSSING POINT SAMAR'S RELATIVES WAVING TO HER VARIOUS OF SAMAR AND GROUP OF HER RELATIVES HEADING TO THE RED CROSS OFFICE IN DEMILITARISED ZONE
  • Embargoed: 20th January 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4PN48A05MJIPR6WRFBPYK05YE
  • Story Text: A 26-year-old bride, crossed over from Syria into the occupied Golan, to marry her fiancé Nabih Farhat on Wednesday (January 5, 2011).
    Samar Salman al-Khayal's wedding day was tinged with sadness. She must leave members of her family behind on the Syrian side of the crossing point, with no knowledge of when she will be able to see them again.
    The wedding was supposed to be last week but the Israeli authorities said that Samar's papers were not in order.
    She promised to keep trying to cross if Israeli authorities turned her away again.
    "No I hope I can cross. I insist. Even if I was turned back, I would still have hope of going back across," she said.
    Samar first got into touch with Nabih four years ago, during which time they've chatted over the internet.
    Samar's mother, Sadikah, hoped that peace would come soon, so that she could visit her daughter.
    "God willing, there will be peace as soon as possible so we are able to go and come back and we can all see each other," she said.
    Samar is the first bride to cross into the occupied part of the Golan Heights since 2008.
    The largest such wedding party was held in 1999, when seven Syrian brides crossed into the Israeli-occupied part to get married.
    Israel captured Golan in the 1967 Middle East war. Syria wants it back as the price for any peace between them.
    An armistice line was drawn between Syrian and Israeli forces in 1974, but under the disengagement agreement, some residents found themselves on the Israeli-held side, while others were on the Syrian side.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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