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Couple blissfully unaware as 'minister' calls them 'infidel' and 'swine' during Maldives wedding
Rashid Razaq28 Oct 2010
It should have been a memory this couple would cherish — pledging their everlasting love as the sun set over an idyllic resort in the Maldives.
But the unwitting husband and wife have been humiliated around the world after the man presiding over the ceremony delivered a stream of insults in a language they did not understand and a video was posted on YouTube.
The couple were called “swine” and “infidels”. They were filmed in what they believed was the renewing of their marriage vows overlooking the Indian Ocean at the Vilu Reef Beach and Spa resort, which costs from £1,700 per couple.
The video, shot by staff at the resort, shows an unnamed European man solemnly holding his hands in prayer as employee Hussein Didi, posing as a “celebrant”, conducts a religious ceremony in the native Dhivehi language.
But far from offering a blessing, the celebrant insults the man, his wife and their children.
He says: “You are swine. The children that you bear from this marriage will all be bastard swine. Your marriage is not a valid one.
“You are not the kind of people who can have a valid marriage. One of you is an infidel. The other, too, is an infidel — and we have reason to believe an atheist, who does not even believe in an infidel religion.”
The bride, wearing a white dress, respectfully looks on completely unaware of the humiliation as between 10 and 15 employees watch and take photographs.
The celebrant refers to “frequent fornication by homosexuals” as he keeps up a running commentary of personal slurs.
He then brandishes a document purporting to be a marriage certificate, but a close-up reveals it really refers to staff employment regulations.
The couple's humiliation is completed when they are tricked into planting a coconut tree as a testament to their love while a member of staff comments on the bride's breasts when she bends over. He then urges the celebrant to make the couple “suck mouths”.
The husband and wife's surname has been reported as Alexander and they are heard speaking in English, but they are said to be of Swiss origin.
The video has been seen by thousands of people since it was posted on YouTube and has led to a ministerial investigation over fears visitors will be put off the Maldives, which is heavily reliant on tourism.
Sun Investments, which owns the resort, said it would “take resolute action against every member of the staff and management found responsible for this disgusting act”.
The employees responsible have reportedly been sacked. Deputy tourism minister Ismail Yasir has launched an investigation.
The country's tour operators' association said in a statement: “If the couple comes to know of the humiliation they were subjected to in the video, the Maldives' good name would be clouded.”
Reader views (20)
with spell check 
this is absolutely despicable, he and the other staff members needs to be hunted sacked & fined, im Muslim and don't speak a word of the Maldives native tongue, had me and my wife married in a similar ceremony the tirade may have veered away from a religious onslaught to mocking us in a more personal way.
Islam doesn’t condone this, lets show ignorant people how intelligent and broad minded we Brits are, its what makes this country great, stop fuelling the schisms that already exist in this world.
- Mo, Ealing, 29/10/2010 12:21
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this is absoloutley dipacable, he and the other staff mambers needs to be hunted sacked & fined, im muslim and don't speak a word of maldives, had me and my wife got married in a similar ceromony whilst on holidaye their, the tirade may have veered away from a reigous onslaught to mocking us in a diffrent way.
Islam doesnt condone this, lets show ignorant people how intelligent and broad minded we brits are, its what makes this country great, stop fueling the schisms that already exist in this world.
- Mo, Ealing, 29/10/2010 10:09
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Oh thank god that happend to christians in a muslim country not the other way around!! They might boycot cheese from Denmark or send out fanatics to kill comic book drawers. But we just accept that and invite more of them to our countries to participate in their way of live and enjoy their kindness...
- westernger, Nuremberg, 29/10/2010 00:39
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EuroLND,London I couldnt agree more.
Our reputation in many countries abroad has been badly tainted so those friendly smiles are just masks for our money.Before you go away do your research.
- Arron, london n1, 28/10/2010 22:24
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Happens in Turkey all the time, the bride and groom just smile away, being ridiculed, quite sad really seeing the happy couple wander off in the sunset all smiles thinking they are married! if only they new.
- Steve, london, 28/10/2010 18:32
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Ironically in all areas where there is heavy tourism Western vistors are disliked and ridiculed. Forget those smiles, to them in reality Westerners are shameless infidels with half naked women on their beaches. All the men drink and the women have easy relationships outside marriage all the time. Their daughters are half naked in the presence of their fathers. What a despicable type, and they're rich.
Nearer to home Spaniards think of Northern Europeans as yobs, unclultured drunks who are ruining their country.
- Tom, London, 28/10/2010 17:16
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@ EuroLND, London
I agree.
My post along the same lines was censored.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 28/10/2010 16:40
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Charming!
- Emma, London, 28/10/2010 16:32
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I have heard it said...from an informed source..that chefs & waiters do a poo poo in the curries on Brick Lane..you have been warned
- doris l pugh, london, 28/10/2010 15:52
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Yup Marianne, I'm with you!
- Goggs, London, 28/10/2010 15:43
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....im not the turkey plucker? im the toilet cleaners son,im only insulting you till my fathers wiped his b.m?....we no speak the lingo?,thank you very much...
- scony, middlesbrough, 28/10/2010 14:19
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Hansel whilst I understand your sentiment, for the record this is religious bigotry as opposed to racist behaviour.
- Kent Spurs, Kent UK, 28/10/2010 13:45
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Me too Marianne. Suckers!!!!!!
- Hails, London, UK, 28/10/2010 13:42
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This is hilarious! Not much different to Ali G in his heyday. Preying on unsuspecting halfwits. This couple and many like them disguise they're luxury holiday with some faux spiritual ceremony and fake cultural experience. Sorry but they got what they deserve.
- Duitch, St Albans, 28/10/2010 13:39
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Feel really sorry for the couple. Mind you, not sure I'd have renewed my vows in a foreign language - still, poor things.
- Phil, London, 28/10/2010 13:22
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What exactly is the purpose of a religious ceremony if you can't understand a word of what's being said? I'm struggling to find any sympathy for the couple in question.
- Marianne, SW France/London, 28/10/2010 13:17
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this is not an isolated case.. this happens everyday in many forms.. its a mind set that has bread after years of cultural and religious indoctrination in Maldives. Maldivians are lead to believe (by religious bigotted leaders and political leaders) that they are one of a kind. kind of chosen people and rest of the world are regarded with disgust except the arabs ofcourse..
it is a sad reality that when you have a population of just 300,000 living in isolated islands without any open door to the rest of the world and where religious and political dogma is being pounded daily to keep the people ignorant and stupid, the least you'd have to worry is about an insult made to a foreigner.. Wait and see the day they starts insulting their own which probably is happening right now.
i hope whoever is reading this, if you know anything abt maldives or the general status of human being is not surprized:)
- shiham, Maldives, 28/10/2010 13:15
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Sacked,Sacked! If the guy had done that to me and my partner i would go and hunt the religious believer down and,well he would not be breathing today!
- Kev, London-UK, 28/10/2010 12:54
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"frequent fornication by homosexuals" -- Sounds good to me, where do I sign up?
Seriously, this is what you get for choosing to holiday in a conservative, pre-modern, non-secular state and in particular one of the Muslim persuasion. Why on earth people would want to spend their holidays in places like the Maldives, Dubai, Egypt, Turkey etc has always been beyond me. It would never occur to me to support any of these benighted places with my pink pounds.
- EuroLND, London, 28/10/2010 12:38
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yeah, but it's not racists when it's this way around.
- Hansel, London, 28/10/2010 12:35
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