Melbourne:
A 23-year-old Muslim bride in Australia has received applause for interruptting her wedding day to visit the memorial site of the Sydney seige and lay the bride’s bouquet in tribute to the victims.
Manal Kassem, from suburb of Punchbowl, visited the site on Saturday, her wedding day, in white dress, hijab and veil. She laid her wedding bouquet in tribute to the victims of the deadly siege in a the Lindt cafe at Martin Place, instead of tossing it back for bridesmaid.
While she laid the bouquet, the city crowd applaused her move, according to AAP news agency.
He wedding planner Dina Kheir said Kassem was reluctant to her photoshoot at the site after the 16-hour seige that took three lives, including that of gunman Man Haron Monis.
“She was going to cancel [the photoshoot] because she didn’t want to be judged...celebrating her wedding in a scarf while people were terrorised,” said Kheir.
“But she made it her priority to visit the memorial site as the first pit stop.”
Kheir added: “She did it out of respect for her country, that will one day be the country of her children and grandchildren.”
The bride and the groom both visited the site.
Last week, Iran-born Monis took 17 hostages in the café and during the 16 hour standoff two of the hostages—Katrina Dawson and Lindt cafe manager Tori Johnson were killed.
Memorial services for Dawson and Johnson will be held at separate venues in Sydney tomorrow.
A Department of Justice spokeswoman said the body of the gunman would be released to his next of kin after an autopsy was concluded today.
