'Isis-themed wedding' sees couple hold first dance in a cage surrounded by men with knives

Balaclava-clad guests can be seen brandishing knives

Heather Saul
Wednesday 04 March 2015 14:17 GMT
Comments
A man brandishes a knife in front of the cage
A man brandishes a knife in front of the cage

An Egyptian couple has provoked controversy over an apparently Isis-themed wedding that saw the pair dancing in a cage reminiscent of the one used to burn a Jordanian pilot alive.

Footage published by photographer Ahmed Kassem on his Facebook page showed a man wearing a balaclava and brandishing a fake knife standing in front of a crowd of guests, many of who are also holding fake knives.

The video, which has been widely circulated on Twitter and Facebook, has not been independently verifed.

"The idea came to me two weeks before the wedding, because I wanted a wedding party different to those of other people, especially to all the traditional ideas," Mr Kasseem told Youm7, according to a translation obtained by The Independent.

"The events inflicted by Daesh [an Arabic name for Isis] is what made me think about the wedding in a different way. It will not be forgotten by everyone."

Mr Shehata’s wife apparently had no idea of his plan, according a BuzzFeed translation. “I was so afraid of the loud music, it made me feel as if something was going to happen," she was quoted as saying.

The presence of the cage is particularly controversial after First Lieutenant Muath al-Kasaesbeh was burned alive in a cage by Isis militants earlier this year. Al-Kasaesbeh had been captured by the extremist group during US-led coalition bombing strikes in Syria.

The Independent has contacted Mr Kassem for comment.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in