Cleric refuses to bless wedding after seeing women dance

A Muslim cleric in Rajasthan refused to bless a wedding because he reportedly saw women from the groom’s side, who came from Gujarat, dancing as part of the marriage procession.

Claiming that Muslim women in his area do not dance in public, the maulavi (priest) refused to perform the marriage rituals and left.

The wedding was to take place on Friday in Rajasthan’s Barmer town, over 550 km from Jaipur. Daughter of Vahid Khan, a resident of Hussaini Chok, was to marry Nawaz, who came from Gujarat’s Baroda district.

The wedding was later conducted at a different location in the evening.

According to sources, the groom and his relatives were singing and dancing as they arrived at the bride’s house. “Some women from the groom’s side started dancing when the marriage procession reached the bride’s house. It irked the maulavi, who was there to perform the marriage rituals. The maulavi refused to perform the rituals,” a resident of the area said on condition of anonymity.

The priest reportedly told the family that public dance by women was a disgrace and that it was not allowed in the area.