A pair of Pakistani women have made history as the first Muslim lesbian couple to get married in the UK.
Rehana Kausar, 34, and Sobia Kamar, 29, made history when they tied the knot in a register office civil ceremony, then immediately applied for political asylum after they got married, claiming their lives would be in danger if they returned to their native country.
Watched by their solicitors and two friends, the pair wore traditional white bridal dresses when they were married in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
The pair, from the Lahore and Mirpur regions of Pakistan, said they had received death threats from opponents in Pakistan – where homosexual acts are illegal and considered against Islam.
And since news of their wedding earlier this month spread, the pair claimed they had even received death threats from the UK.
Before the service, even the registrar advised the couple to give serious thought to their decision to marry because of some Muslims’ views on homosexuality.
Ms Kausar, a master’s degree holder in economics from Punjab University (pictured), both came to the UK to study business and health care management
Kausar said: ‘This country allows us rights and it’s a very personal decision that we have taken.
‘It’s no one’s business as to what we do with our personal lives.
‘The problem with Pakistan is that everyone believes he is in charge of other people’s lives and can best decide about the morals of others but that’s not the right approach and we are in this state because of our clergy who have hijacked our society which was once a tolerant society and respected individuals’ freedoms.’
The pair married at the register office located at Leeds Town Hall. They have lived in South Yorkshire as a couple for a year Ms Kamar, speaking to the Birmingham Mail, described her partner as her ‘soul mate’ and said the two women were deeply in love.
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