A woman who married Manchester synagogue terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie over a video call says he repeatedly refused to grant her a divorce after she found out he already had a wife
A woman has told how she married Manchester synagogue terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie in bizarre Zoom wedding – and took part in the ceremony from her own living room.
The bride – who later broke up with the 35-year-old after discovering he already had a wife – said the Islamic ceremony, which took place during Covid restrictions, was ‘over and done within 10 minutes’. Al-Shamie went on to carry out a horrific knife and car attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue last Thursday, leaving two dead and four injured.
He was shot dead by armed police at the scene. Three victims remain in hospital with serious injuries.
Jihad Al-Shamie had told the woman they could only be in a relationship together if they got married first – only to later reveal he was already married in a series of repentant text messages.
She and Al-Shamie met just before Christmas in 2021 via the dating app Muzz, formerly Muzmatch, and were married by the end of January of 2022. The woman, a mum aged 38, told Manchester Evening News: “He set all the marriage up, it was all done by him.
“He just said he wanted to marry me – and he would often tell me that I was his type. There were witnesses there and it was all over an Internet call. He said that before we had a relationship, we needed to be married.”
The woman, who had previously converted to Islam, said at first believed she was in love with Al-Shamie – but revealed how he went on to abuse her both mentally and sexually, and ‘constantly’ lied to her to keep his secret safe. She said: “He was nice, then he was vile. Nice, vile. It was his way or no way.”
The woman said the ceremony took place over a video call linked to a mosque from the front room of her home in the north west. Speaking of their initial messages after meeting online, she said: “We were talking for a bit, then he was pushy.” She went on to say the pair met within the month.
She said they exchanged vows in a ‘Nikah’ ceremony, an Islamic marriage contract ceremony. A certificate states Nikah was ‘solemnised according to Islamic Law’ and references ‘Jihad Alshamie’ and the woman’s name.
The document also references two witnesses and their signatures, as well as the name of an Imam who performed the ceremony. Of the marriage ceremony she said: “It was over and done with in less than 10 minutes.
“All I had to do was to wear a headscarf. He had a prayer hat on. We had to copy what the Imam was saying and that was it. He just said ‘right, you are married’. It was quick and simple.”
The woman said they were both stood together in the front room at the time. In messages exchanged after he admitted to having another wife, Al-Shamie defended his decision to agree to a divorce, writing: “Look I want to c u and talk properly in person technically we r still married I never gave u divorce after we got back together.”
The woman says he told her twice he wanted a divorce, but he replied: “Yes but we got back after that and it’s three time that makes it permanent not 2.”
Al-Shamie, 35, who was on bail for an alleged rape when he carried out the attack, was shot dead by police as he targeted the synagogue.
Adrian Daulby, 53, is believed to have died after being shot by police while trying to stop Al-Shamie from entering the synagogue during the attack. Melvin Cravitz, 66, from Crumpsall, another worshipper who helped prevent the attacker from entering the premises, also lost his life.