Hamas arranges mass wedding for 100 Gaza widows (News Feature)

By Saud Abu Ramadan Jul 10, 2009, 15:10 GMT

Gaza - One hundred Gaza widows - veiled, wearing long black dresses and gloves - celebrated their second marriages on Friday in a mass wedding arranged by Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

The 100 women, many of them mothers, lost their husbands during the 22-day Israeli military offensive carried out on the impoverished enclave.

According to human rights groups based in Gaza, around 1,450 Palestinians, most of them women and children, were killed in the offensive that ended January 18.

None of the 100 men, some getting married for the first time, or 100 women were older than 25, and all were dressed in black and loyal to Hamas.

They were accompanied at the mass ceremony by their relatives, friends and their children - the daughters wore white dresses, while the sons wore black suits.

Many of the bridegrooms, who received 2,800 dollars from Hamas in recognition of their marrying a widow, are taking on another wife, and a majority of the men are brothers-in-law of the widows, the late husbands being Hamas militants killed in the Israeli invasion.

Ahmed al-Fayoomi, a 22-year-old former single, proudly said he decided to marry his brother Alla's 24-year-old wife Sabrin because 'according to our Islamic rules as well as to our traditions, I believe I'm the one who should take care of my brother's wife and their children.'

Alla, who died in the conflict, left behind seven children, he said.

Mohamed Taha, 23 years old, also married his brother's wife Iman, who is one year older than he. 'Because I love my brother so much, who is now a martyr, I decided to take care of his wife and his only child.'

One young man, Jibril al-Na'ooq, 20, married the 25-year-old wife of his dead uncle, and thus taking on the care of his two young cousins.

A widow from the city of Khan Younis who declined to give her name said 'today I'm getting married to the brother of my martyr husband. I am so happy for this marriage.'

'I feel that my husband is resting in peace now because his brother will take care of me and my children,' she added, speaking out from the black veil that revealed only her green eyes.