An Egyptian businessman is facing possible jail time as the result of his desire for marriage. The man allegedly had an almost insatiable appetite for matrimony.
Fawzi Mahud al-Bahawi, 58, a furniture store owner in Egypt's port city of Alexandria, was arrested Sunday in his store for allegedly being married to more than four women, the number permitted in Islam and under Egyptian law.
Mr. al-Bahawi was charged with having married 23 women, many of them under the legal marriage age of 16. He was also charged with having falsified documents for the purpose of marriage.
Police say the merchant took advantage of the young girls' need for money in order to persuade them to marry him.
Marrying more than four women can carry a stiff sentence in Egypt.
In January, an Egyptian millionaire, who was convicted of marrying 29 young girls, was sentenced to seven-years of hard labor. During sentencing the judge told the man he might actually discover seven years of hard labor would be easier than being married to 29 wives.