- Title: WEST BANK: HUNDREDS OF COUPLES GET MARRIED IN MASS WEDDING CEREMONY
- Date: 30th July 2005
- Summary: (BN15) NABLUS, WEST BANK (JULY 28, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SLV CROWD OF PALESTINIANS PARTICIPATING IN A MASS WEDDING PROCESSION WAVING PALESTINIAN AND HAMAS FLAGS; WIDE OF CROWD WATCHING WEDDING CEREMONY SITTING IN STADIUM, SINGING 2. BAND PLAYING, MARCHING INSIDE STADIUM; CROWD OF WOMEN WATCHING CEREMONY FROM STADIUM CLAPPING; YOUNG GIRLS DRESSED IN WHITE HOLDING FLOWERS ON STAGE 0.38 3. WIDE GROOMS GOING ON STAGE; GROOMS STANDING ON STAGE, HOLDING KORAN BOOKS AND RED FLOWERS 0.53 4. SCU LITTLE GIRLS DRESSED IN WHITE STANDING ON STAGE; SLV BRIDES SITTING ON STAGE; CLOSE OF BRIDE; WIDE OF BRIDES SITTING ON STAGE 1.25 5. ISLAMIC CLERGY SPEAKING TO PARTICIPANTS AND CROWD 1.35 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMED GHAZAL, SPOKESMAN FOR HAMAS WHO ORGANISED THE MASS WEDDING, SAYING: "This wedding which is being hosted by the Islamic party is just one side of our attempts to solve domestic problems which our people are suffering from because of the economic hardship they are going through, specially here in the city of Nablus. And from here the party is attempting to reduce the (economical) burden for these newlyweds. We have here today over 300 brides and grooms. Sadly here in Nablus there isn't a place that could fit 300 brides and grooms. This is a problem that our society suffers through and this is our effort at the Islamic movement to help. It isn't the first time we carry out such an initiative, we had 900 weddings we hosted in the past year, and God willing we will continue to contribute to our people." 2.31 7. SLV CROWD WATCHING CEREMONY; WIDE OF GROOMS SITTING ON STAGE 2.50 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 14th August 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NABLUS, WEST BANK
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Reuters ID: LVA4E8HYRNEAGXK6HY038C4R2IS8
- Story Text: Hundreds of West Bank couples get married in a mass
wedding ceremony.
More than 300 Palestinian couples said "I do" in a
mass marriage ceremony sponsored by the Hamas militant
group in the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday (July 28, 2005).
The couples were certified by a Muslim clergy ahead
of the collective celebration held in a city stadium
decorated with Palestinian and Hamas flags.
The newlyweds were blasted with applause as relatives
and friends waved flags as they made their way down the
aisle. All the participants of the wedding sat separated by
gender, according to the Islamic tradition.
A Palestinian band welcomed the grooms, who held Korans
and marched on a big stage at the stadium.
"This wedding which is being hosted by the Islamic
party is just one side of our attempts to solve domestic
problems which our people are suffering from because of the
economic hardship they are going through, specially here in
the city of Nablus.
And from here the party is attempting to reduce the
(economical) burden for these newlyweds," Mohammed Ghazal,
a spokesman for the Hamas who organised the wedding, told
Reuters Television.
"We have here today over 300 brides and grooms. Sadly
here in Nablus there isn't a place that could fit 300
brides and grooms. This is a problem that our society
suffers through and this is our effort at the Islamic movement to
help.
It isn't the first time we carry out such an initiative, we
had 900 weddings we hosted in the past year, and God willing
we will continue to contribute to our people," Ghazal said during
the ceremony.
A similar mass wedding was held in the Gaza Strip on
Friday (July 22), where 222 couples got married in a
collective wedding ceremony sponsored by the Islamic Jihad
militant group.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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