A young Jordanian man is facing jail after donning a veil and joining an all-female wedding party in order to win a bet, the official Petra agency reported on Wednesday.
The man, identified only by his first name Salim, wore a black coat and a veil to get into the party, where female guests were dancing and singing in the mistaken belief they were safe from prying male eyes.
Unlike Salim, the women at the wedding party in Zarqa, north of Amman, were unveiled and the mysterious black-clad female’s persistent refusal to shed her Islamic garb spiked their curiosity.
Exasperated by Salim’s attitude, one female guest pulled the veil off Salim’s head and revealed his true identity.
The unmasking triggered panic and anger among the wedding party, with several women throwing shoes and chairs at Salim before he managed to flee.
Police eventually caught up with him and pressed charges ”to punish him for his immoral actions, which violated Arab and Islamic values”, said Petra.
In conservative Muslim societies, men and women often hold separate wedding celebrations. — Sapa-AFP