Biker bride sues social media ‘defamers’

Nadia Hussain on her Harley-Davidson during celebrations for her wedding to Salem Al Muraikhi last month. Courtesy Amman Alyoum

ABU DHABI // Nadia Hussain, the Emirati biker bride who caused an internet sensation last month, has filed complaints against 35 people for threatening and insulting her and husband Salem Al Muraikhi online.

And two of the people Ms Hussain, 29, filed cases against at the Court of Misdemeanours have been referred to Public Prosecution. A first court hearing is scheduled for April 17.

She said was subjected to death threats and insults from social media commentators since her wedding, in which the couple rode Harley-Davidsons with a convoy of bikers, went viral.

The couple had to cancel their honeymoon to the Seychelles because they could not leave their Dubai hotel room after their wedding night, Ms Hussain said.

“There were threats saying they will slit our throats, and phrases like, ‘Let me only see them in the street and I will run them over’.

“And our phones never stopped ringing.”

Ms Hussain was accused of acting in a manner that contradicted UAE traditions and values, and for breaking the rules of hijab with her outfit. Others claimed she was not Emirati.

One of the two referred to Public Prosecution is a media personality with 10,000 followers, who made a video that Ms Hussain claimed had defamed her.

“From that video alone we took out 12 offences that are punishable by the law,” she said.

The second defendant is a member of a motorcycle group to which she and her husband belong.

“All the cases have been filed under defamation and verbal insults,” Ms Hussain said. “They have hurt me enough with extreme insults and are still looking for me, and they offended my husband’s manhood.”

She said she did not care about financial compensation as much as holding her antagonists responsible for the damage they caused. “They ruined my wedding days and did not let me even get out of the hotel.”

Ms Hussain said she decided to take legal action after she consulted a lawyer.

“He encouraged me to go for it. He said, ‘It is your right’.”

Ms Hussain works in real estate but said she had been too preoccupied with the legal proceedings to return to work.

Ali Al Mansouri, a lawyer representing the accused media personality, said the complaints were filed under defamation in the penal code and other offences under cyber crime law.

Most of the accused were “social media celebrities”, Mr Al Mansouri said.

He argued that the comments were trivial and described the incident as “an intrusive trend to the UAE society”.

“I am representing one defendant so far and I have received calls from five others, and I am coordinating with them. They are all Emirati men,” he said.

Mr Al Mansouri said the defence would centre on whether Ms Hussain’s actions were an affront to public decency and order.

“Every person has the right be creative in their wedding – we do not have a problem with that – but when it affects the norm and modesty features there is an issue,” he said.

He said if a bride was walking the streets in her wedding gown, she would be stopped by the police “because this is a violation of public order”.

The same applied to Ms Hussain’s wedding, he said.

“She even invited a Jordanian TV channel to film it.”

Mr Al Mansouri said he would also be asking in court how Ms Hussain had obtained the video she claimed showed his client defaming her.

“How did she acquire that video? Was it through legal means and procedures?” he asked.

“We will also deny the defamation claims and argue that her accusations have been driven by a grudge.”

Mariam Al Breiiki, an Emirati social media commentator, said the story caused such a stir because it was publicised by the couple.

“There are many things that people do that are out of the norm but they don’t get publicised and therefore do not attract criticism,” Ms Al Breiiki said.

She said she was not in favour of such exposure for weddings but believed the couple’s freedom of choice should be respected.

“If their families blessed it and the groom himself invited figures from different countries to share their celebration, who are we to object?”