Jewish man, Muslim woman get married in Canada

A Muslim woman and Jewish man in Canada, by marrying each other, have proved that love can conquer social boundaries, including religion.

Shaaz and Jarred Jusko Friedman from Calagry city claim their interfaith marriage works for them.

Shaaz, who is an Indian Muslim, met her husband at their workplace. They were going out for lunch one day and Jarred forgot his wallet. Shazz paid for his lunch, and he promised to buy her lunch the next day.

He was a city planner, and she worked in the same department as she waited for accreditation for working as a pharmacist.

A few months after they met, Jarred visited his family in Toronto where her mother wanted him to meet other women of his faith, so that they could marry.

He says it was at this time he realised that Shaaz was more than just a friend for him.

At the same time, Shaaz shares, her mother was trying to fix her up with some Muslim men.

When Jarred asked her out, the two had to deal with some tough questions; were they open to marrying someone outside their faith? Growing up in India, Shazz had never encountered a Jewish person before.

As their relationship got serious, they broke the news to their family. The result: Shazz's mother did not talk to her for months.

The couple married in July 2016, and tried to include both Jewish and Muslim traditions in their marriage. But they couldn’t find an imam to attend the wedding. There were plenty of Bollywood songs though.

They say when they have children they will be introduced to both religions. They can choose to fast in Ramzan if they want, Jarred says, or Yom Kipoor when the Jews fast.

“When you meet the right person, you don’t see colour, or religion, you just marry that person,” Shazz said.