Father In Yemen Asks Daughter's Suitor For One Million Facebook Likes As Dowry

Father In Yemen Asks For One Million Facebook Likes As Daughter's Dowry
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A man in Yemen has asked his daughter's suitor to gain a million Facebook 'Likes' in lieu of a dowry.

The BBC reports that Salem Ayash, who is a poet from Taiz, made the strange request partly to highlight the arguable absurdity of the customary dowry system in a country where few young people are able to afford them.

Asked why he was asking for Facebook likes instead of money, Ayash said simply: "No-one in Yemen can afford dowries anymore".

The Beeb's new 'Trending' column explains that dowries are often set so high that relatives or entire communities often have to club together to pay for them.

The story - which has been very popular on social media in Yemen, despite internet access being relatively patchy among its 25 million citizens - emerged last week, but the page has already received more than 29,000 'Likes'.

Some on the page have reportedly accused Ayash of seeking "fame" for his daughter rather than considering the needs of the young couple. But Ayash said that he simply wants his son-in-law-to-be to prove he can "work hard" ahead of the nuptials.

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