Strangest Wedding in the 21st Century': 13-Year-Old Boy Marries 10-Year-Old Girl in Egypt and Here's the Video

A marriage ceremony between a 13-year-old boy and his 10-year-old bride took place recently in Egypt, according to a video posted by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

If they lived in the U.S., this couple wouldn't be allowed to view an R-rated movie without an adult chaperon.

The wedding was held in the Egyptian city El Senbellawein in the Dakahlia Governorate. In the Egyptian television report translated by MEMRI, observers were quoted as calling it the “strangest wedding in the 21st century.”

The Middle Eastern website Al Bawaba asked if the “Egyptian teen wedding [was] followed by video game reception?”

A woman kisses the 13-year-old groom at this Egyptian child wedding (Screenshot: MEMRI)

The Egyptian television report showed footage from the celebration in which the little girl was dressed up as if for Halloween in bridal wear and a veil pinned to her hair.

“We wanted to make sure they marry someone with the proper lineage. We saw that Shams [the groom] was fond of Iman, so it all worked out, Allah be praised. You are never too young to be married,” said the father of the groom Mahmoud Shams.

“We could have just told him to marry his cousin, and he would have. He would have had no say in it. The important thing is to get married. Love will come later,” the father said according to MEMRI’s translation

The reporter also interviewed the newlyweds. Shams, who is in his first year of junior high school said, “I love Badran [father of the bride]. He's like a father to me. I love him, and he has always loved me. I want to be an engineer, so I hope to complete my studies. [I wanted to marry her] because she is Badran's daughter, and he is a good man.”

The little girl Iman acknowledged “yes” with a nod when asked if she was happy to get married.

“Why did you agree?” the reporter asked, to which Iman answered “Because Mom and Dad told me to.”

“They told you to, so you agreed?” asked the reporter.

Iman said, “Yes.”

Here is the video courtesy of MEMRI

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