Court Recognizes Church Marriage, Orders Official Certificate

According to the woman's lawyer, Ammar Al-Taranjah, the couple were married at St. Christopher's Cathedral in Manama under a church ceremony recognized for non-Muslims. After her husband's death in the United States, she sought an official marriage certificate, but the request was initially denied, prompting legal action.

In its judgment, the court found that the marriage had been conducted in accordance with Bahrain's laws governing non-Muslim marriages and was also consistent with California family law, which recognizes marriages legally performed abroad. The court ruled that the marriage did not conflict with Bahrain's public order and directed the ministry to issue an official certificate confirming the church marriage.