By Sana Elouazi
Rabat – Saudi authorities have opened investigations to verify the authenticity of a video purporting to show a gay wedding ceremony allegedly held in Saudi Arabia, reported The New Arab.
The footage, which features two men in traditional Saudi dress while walking down the aisle, went viral in the Arabian country this week, with many expressing their outrage and posting homophobic messages.
According to Al Marsd, this alleged ceremony took place in Aradiyat governorate, near Mecca last Monday. Some even tweeted that authorities have already carried out raids and arrested the people involved in the ceremony, pending investigations.
However, a Saudi official said that an investigation was underway, adding that the Saudi authorities would release further details once the authenticity of the video is verified.
He also warned Saudis that they must adhere to the “morals and virtuous values of this blessed country”.
Homosexuality is strictly forbidden and considered as an illegal act not only in Saudi Arabia but also in several countries, where homosexuals can face imprisonment, violent punishments or even death penalty.
Even though the report of the wedding has not been confirmed yet, the videos continue to circulate online sparking an uproar on social media, with some speculating that the clip was actually meant to be a parody while others lambasted the country’s new modernizing ruler, Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.
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