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Love is a battlefield: the wild world of wartime weddings

Published February 14th, 2016 - 10:53 GMT

Shakespeare wrote, "The course of true love never did run smooth." That's especially true for romantics in times of war, or for couples moved by those who are affected by war's fallout.

This Valentine's Day, Al Bawaba looks at duos who put their love out there for a greater good. Some use their Big Day to put a high beam on issues larger than their own happiness. Others fight for love despite social and cultural challenges. These warm-hearted warriors are winners on love's Middle East battlefields. (Just watch out for that runaway bride!) 

 

 

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Canadians donate wedding budget to Syrian refugees

A photo of drowned Aylan Kurdi changed everything for this Canadian couple's big wedding plans. Samantha Jackson and Farzin Yousefian scrapped the big party and got hitched at town hall, inviting guests to donate to refugees rather than give gifts. They raised $17,000, to resettle a Syrian family in Toronto. (Screenshot from YouTube)

Turkish couple invite refugees to wedding

A Turkish couple swapped swanky nuptials for dinner with 4,000 refugees. Fethullah Üzümcüoğlu and Esra Polat doled out truckloads of food in Kilis on the Syrian border, a central crossing point for the flood of Syrians entering Turkey. The groom's dad volunteers for a Turkish relief organization, he hatched the idea.(Image from Distractify)

Wedding in Homs

Newlyweds Hassan Youssef and Nada Merhi staged their wedding pictures against a backdrop of damaged buildings in Homs, Syria. The bride wore a traditional white gown, while her husband went with camouflage. He's a soldier in President Bashar al-Assad’s army, which took Homs from rebels in November. (Photo by Jafar Meray, on Flipboard.com)

Jordan couple shares wedding with Syrian refugees

Mutaz Mango and Basma Omar were keen to provide aid to refugees after the UN's World Food Program stopped food aid to about 229,000 refugees in Jordan in September. The Jordanian couple invited 200 refugees in Amman to their wedding party, where they dined and danced. The pair also distributed gifts and food vouchers. (Photo by Samer Kurdi)

Kobani wedding

Kobani newlyweds Yilmaz Ali and Evin Bederkhan wedding vows included a promise to start married life in their war-torn town, and urged other Syrians to remain in the country to help rebuild it. This was the first wedding in Kobani since it was recaptured by Kurdish-led forces from ISIS. (Image from TheKurdishProject.org)

Egyptian couple jailed for helping Syrian refugees

Aya Hegazy and Mohamad Hassanein spent their wedding bucks on Cairo street kids and ended up in jail. They started NGO Belady Foundation in February 2014, three months later they were in prison on false charges of human trafficking and sexual abuse. Over 25 NGOs and human rights groups have called on their release. (Image from Egyptian Streets)

Betu Allami and Nayyef Hrebid met during the 2004 siege of Ramadi. Hrebid was a translator for the US, and Allami was an Iraqi soldier. "I saw him," says Hrebid, 'and I was like...he is perfect.' Now married, and living in Seattle, hear their story of escape from Iraq where being gay could mean jail or worse, on KUOW radio. (Image from kuow.org)

Betu Allami and Nayyef Hrebid met during the 2004 siege of Ramadi. Hrebid was a translator for the US, and Allami was an Iraqi soldier. "I saw him," says Hrebid, 'and I was like...he is perfect.' Now married, and living in Seattle, hear their story of escape from Iraq where being gay could mean jail or worse, on KUOW radio. (Image from kuow.org)

runaway bride

Lover, beware! Turkish police are looking for a Syrian refugee who dupes men into marrying her, then vanishes with the gifts. She's conned three men she met through marriage brokers. Her latest mate thinks she laced his drink with sleeping pills; he fell asleep after the party and woke the next day, minus $5000 in gifts. (From Pulse/Daily Mail)

Canadians donate wedding budget to Syrian refugees
Turkish couple invite refugees to wedding
Wedding in Homs
Jordan couple shares wedding with Syrian refugees
Kobani wedding
Egyptian couple jailed for helping Syrian refugees
Betu Allami and Nayyef Hrebid met during the 2004 siege of Ramadi. Hrebid was a translator for the US, and Allami was an Iraqi soldier. "I saw him," says Hrebid, 'and I was like...he is perfect.' Now married, and living in Seattle, hear their story of escape from Iraq where being gay could mean jail or worse, on KUOW radio. (Image from kuow.org)
runaway bride
Canadians donate wedding budget to Syrian refugees
A photo of drowned Aylan Kurdi changed everything for this Canadian couple's big wedding plans. Samantha Jackson and Farzin Yousefian scrapped the big party and got hitched at town hall, inviting guests to donate to refugees rather than give gifts. They raised $17,000, to resettle a Syrian family in Toronto. (Screenshot from YouTube)
Turkish couple invite refugees to wedding
A Turkish couple swapped swanky nuptials for dinner with 4,000 refugees. Fethullah Üzümcüoğlu and Esra Polat doled out truckloads of food in Kilis on the Syrian border, a central crossing point for the flood of Syrians entering Turkey. The groom's dad volunteers for a Turkish relief organization, he hatched the idea.(Image from Distractify)
Wedding in Homs
Newlyweds Hassan Youssef and Nada Merhi staged their wedding pictures against a backdrop of damaged buildings in Homs, Syria. The bride wore a traditional white gown, while her husband went with camouflage. He's a soldier in President Bashar al-Assad’s army, which took Homs from rebels in November. (Photo by Jafar Meray, on Flipboard.com)
Jordan couple shares wedding with Syrian refugees
Mutaz Mango and Basma Omar were keen to provide aid to refugees after the UN's World Food Program stopped food aid to about 229,000 refugees in Jordan in September. The Jordanian couple invited 200 refugees in Amman to their wedding party, where they dined and danced. The pair also distributed gifts and food vouchers. (Photo by Samer Kurdi)
Kobani wedding
Kobani newlyweds Yilmaz Ali and Evin Bederkhan wedding vows included a promise to start married life in their war-torn town, and urged other Syrians to remain in the country to help rebuild it. This was the first wedding in Kobani since it was recaptured by Kurdish-led forces from ISIS. (Image from TheKurdishProject.org)
Egyptian couple jailed for helping Syrian refugees
Aya Hegazy and Mohamad Hassanein spent their wedding bucks on Cairo street kids and ended up in jail. They started NGO Belady Foundation in February 2014, three months later they were in prison on false charges of human trafficking and sexual abuse. Over 25 NGOs and human rights groups have called on their release. (Image from Egyptian Streets)
Betu Allami and Nayyef Hrebid met during the 2004 siege of Ramadi. Hrebid was a translator for the US, and Allami was an Iraqi soldier. "I saw him," says Hrebid, 'and I was like...he is perfect.' Now married, and living in Seattle, hear their story of escape from Iraq where being gay could mean jail or worse, on KUOW radio. (Image from kuow.org)
Betu Allami and Nayyef Hrebid met during the 2004 siege of Ramadi. Hrebid was a translator for the US, and Allami was an Iraqi soldier. "I saw him," says Hrebid, 'and I was like...he is perfect.' Now married, and living in Seattle, hear their story of escape from Iraq where being gay could mean jail or worse, on KUOW radio. (Image from kuow.org)
runaway bride
Lover, beware! Turkish police are looking for a Syrian refugee who dupes men into marrying her, then vanishes with the gifts. She's conned three men she met through marriage brokers. Her latest mate thinks she laced his drink with sleeping pills; he fell asleep after the party and woke the next day, minus $5000 in gifts. (From Pulse/Daily Mail)

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