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'Save me from an arranged marriage': UK man advertises himself on billboards to find a wife

'Save me from an arranged marriage': UK man advertises himself on billboards to find a wife

'It's tough out there. I had to get a billboard to get seen,' says Muhammad Malik on his website, findmalikawife.com.
06 Jan, 2022

It can be brutal out there when it comes to searching for a partner and most desi kids have the threat of an arranged marriage looming over their heads if they can't find someone but one man's attempts to save himself from that fate has us and the rest of the internet chuckling. Muhammad Malik, 29, literally put himself out there — on billboards, no less — to save himself from an arranged marriage.

The Londoner put up signs around the UK city of Birmingham that read "Save me from an arranged marriage" and added a link to his website findmalikawife.com for potential suitors to get more information on what he's looking for in a companion.

"Huge thanks to anyone who’s messaged in support or has actually applied to be my wife, I see you don’t worry!! I’ve been overwhelmed with all the messages but I love it, pls keep them coming, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can inshallah," he captioned an Instagram picture of him standing in front of his billboard.

In a video on the website, he introduced himself as an entrepreneur and foodie who's religious and is looking for "someone who's working on her Deen". He said he's okay with any ethnicity but since he comes from a loud, Punjabi family, "the banter has to be 100."

He added a form on the site for whoever is interested, along with his social media handles for Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, which were flooded after his antics went viral. He has received a sea of responses for which his friends are making spreadsheets, according to Birmingham Live, to sort through them.

In the FAQs section on his website, he clarifies that he's not against arranged marriages but just wants to "try and find someone on my own first."

"I just haven't found the right girl yet. It's tough out there. I had to get a billboard to get seen," he explained.

Despite how funny his antics may seem to the public, they seem to have helped him find several candidates. Whatever works, we guess.

Comments

Good Luck Jan 06, 2022 03:30pm
If you look like your picture, your best bet is an arranged marriage. And probably a cousin also, who is not very selective.
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NYS Jan 06, 2022 03:32pm
Very tough phase of bonding enormous community is facing this While he is getting tremendous response no flak without matrimonial response he can tied knots for some pending relatives By the way idea is overwhelming
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AAA Jan 06, 2022 03:37pm
End is nigh indeed, end is nigh, instead of getting in to shape, be better in humor, earn more, Bhai Shb. put billboard at age of 29, while expecting to have "Pari (fairy)", yet stands him self as "Zakoota Jinn", nice, just nice.
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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Jan 06, 2022 03:45pm
An attempt in futility to get cheap publicity, stay afloat, look busy, get counted, rally support, solicit more funds and above all, remain in the powerful multi-media limelight.
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Khanzar Jan 06, 2022 03:55pm
It mind sounds funny but this man is a real loser. Even if his parents wants him to have arranged marriage, he still have a choice to say yes or no. Instead, he is mocking himself and traditional marriages
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Zak Jan 06, 2022 04:28pm
does he need one or so many? He sounds fishy
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Doc Sal's fan fellow Pakistani Jan 06, 2022 04:35pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad please seriously this was funny Sir. You are always in a strong direct mood, which is good as we have so many kb warriors from India racist regime, but this was funny I thought as I said I hope you see it funny I mean a bit at least? Thank you Sir for all that you do.
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the MIRROR Jan 06, 2022 04:47pm
I'm sad to see that useless reporting is still alive.
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Zak Jan 06, 2022 04:54pm
Good humour to achieve a matrimonial goal.
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Pak Pashtun Jan 06, 2022 04:55pm
Oh man, how embarrassing.... Why humiliate yourself and your culture? This is why people laugh at Desis, such a cartoon.
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Ali Jan 06, 2022 05:00pm
not to discourage him or anyone but arrange marriages are bringing more disappointments when there is love between the two but parents disagree. So what's the point of investing your time.
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Hawk Jan 06, 2022 05:01pm
Arrange marriages are most successful than love marriages . See the percentage of divorce where love marriages are traditional.
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KPK Booster Jan 06, 2022 05:10pm
Arranged marriages long last.
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Mahmood Jan 06, 2022 05:20pm
But he wants to continue to live in the UK?? If he does not like the traditions or being forced into an arranged marriage - despite being a grown-up man. perhaps he's not mature enough to make his own decisions?? He must be very timid and immature to resort to such desperate measures?? Do they even have Internet in his ghetto in Birmingham, I wonder?? Creating a bill board on a street in his city, only shows his lack of imagination or resources. So, only a few hundred people will see the ad, instead of millions he could reach through online dating sites, match-making apps and Muslim marriage services....
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Skeptic Jan 06, 2022 05:21pm
Losing some weight and trimming that bushy beard might help!
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Ali Jan 06, 2022 05:24pm
@salaria: What do you even mean?
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Dev Jan 06, 2022 05:28pm
Cheap publicity stunt.
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ST Jan 06, 2022 05:30pm
Such an attention seeker
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Saad(DXB) Jan 06, 2022 05:35pm
@Good Luck That's a very demeaning and may i say, racist comment against a brown person with a beard.
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ABE Jan 06, 2022 05:36pm
Not the sharpest knife in the kitchen! This is the 21st century, and info-age. Has he even heard of the Internet in Birmingham??
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Khalid iqbal Jan 06, 2022 05:39pm
Marriages are arranged in heaven , not by anyone in this world , be honest to yourself and the person you wish to marry , marriage is hardwork , be willing to sacrifice, arranged marriages by those who love you in this world are probably the best.
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Pakistan Zindabad Jan 06, 2022 05:48pm
Looks desperate. He is of Pakistani origin so might not be surprising. Such antics only service to further purportrate the negative image of Pakistan and Islam in the West.
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LgbtqX Jan 06, 2022 06:17pm
He definitely has some issues.
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Raka Jan 06, 2022 06:17pm
@Good Luck is it all about looks only? I like his spirit.
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semra khan Jan 06, 2022 06:49pm
@Khalid iqbal It is wrong to presume that all parents are responsible, love their children and make the best decision for them.
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Memon Abdul Jan 06, 2022 06:53pm
This methodology played out to any successful fruition would quite literally be an arrangement and hence result in an arranged marriage. 1)billboard arranged 2)communication arranged 3)meetings / interview arranged 4)festivities arranged 5)hence marriage? First prize to anyone who guesses the answer...
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semra khan Jan 06, 2022 06:57pm
@Hawk The reason divorce rates are low in arranged marriages is because you are never given a choice from the start. The marriage itself is decided by elders so you may never be allowed to divorce even if the marriage has failed.
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semra khan Jan 06, 2022 07:00pm
@Good Luck It is better to remain single than to end up in an arranged marriage with your cousin.
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Sid C Jan 06, 2022 07:13pm
@Good Luck great reply!
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Ali Jan 06, 2022 07:22pm
@Good Luck take a look at yourself before judging someone it's not funny.
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TenJee Jan 06, 2022 07:24pm
@semra khan Nothing like personal anecdotal 'evidence' over actual studies when promoting an anti-marriage agenda eh?
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TenJee Jan 06, 2022 07:26pm
So he is an extrovert, with a sense of humour and not afraid to go off-piste in looking for solutions. Not a stereotypical Brummie then.
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TenJee Jan 06, 2022 07:26pm
@LgbtqX Don't we all?
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qalandar khan Jan 06, 2022 07:27pm
Very funny indeed. It made my day
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TenJee Jan 06, 2022 07:27pm
@Good Luck Do you have to practice to become so unkind?
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TenJee Jan 06, 2022 07:29pm
@Pak Pashtun Actually this is the sort of story that brings a lighter side to the BritPak community in UK media.
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TPA Jan 06, 2022 07:34pm
What an drama artist
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TenJee Jan 06, 2022 07:35pm
@Pakistan Zindabad Actually not all 'Pakistanis' have a complex of what 'The West' thinks of them. A lot actually are confident in their culture and religion and do not cower to them, unlike many readers here and upper middle class Pakistanis in Pakistan who are so eager to be seen as acceptable to their Western idols. He is showing the lighter side of his take on Pakistani culture and actually promoting marriage. I don't agree with his approach, but find the reactions in the comments here today hilarious ... in a bad way.
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SKF Jan 06, 2022 07:50pm
Publicity stunt..btw how much he spent on this show?
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Art Jan 06, 2022 09:34pm
Agree with him, stop deciding peoples future and life! Let people decide themselves! Shame on hypocrisy
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Rizwan Jan 06, 2022 09:40pm
@Good Luck Sikhs don't marry cousins.
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Taniya Jan 06, 2022 09:48pm
@Mahmood He is from Southall London not Birmingham. He just chose Birmingham for publicity.
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Farhan khan Jan 06, 2022 11:10pm
He is just making fun, don't know why all are taking seriously.
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Ahmad Jan 06, 2022 11:21pm
It's a cheap act, in today's world, no parents forced their children's to marry on their own choice.
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Waqar (UK) Jan 06, 2022 11:41pm
@Taniya The irony is that he is looking for a girl from a Punjabi background wheareas the overwhelming majority of Birmingham's Pakistani community are Mirpuri or what they like to refer to themselves as 'Kashmiris'. He's not thought this out well, to be honest.
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Really Jan 07, 2022 12:12am
He should move back to Pakistan and marry his cousin. That is his only hope.
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Rafique Jan 07, 2022 12:34am
Do whatever you want and be whoever you want to be. Just be your own friend and not your own enemy!
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Uzair Jan 07, 2022 12:35am
@Khanzar i guess you're not familiar with the term "shughal".
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Texas Ranger Jan 07, 2022 12:41am
So he couldn't find love himself ?
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Azhar khalid Jan 07, 2022 02:15am
Losers come in many shapes and forms.Some have a lot lower IQ than others. Some flaunt wealth, and some lineage. Some clown just put everything out their for people to laugh.
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Zulfiqar Jan 07, 2022 02:21am
Billboard advertising is not cheap. It takes more effort than a free website on Wordpress. This guy must have deep pockets to waste on personal brand building. Could have used the funds to help someone in need.
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Zulfiqar Jan 07, 2022 02:23am
@KPK Booster one word ‘Over-rated’
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Isar Jan 07, 2022 02:27am
@LgbtqX Areed. Someone should have asked him, what is wrong with the arranged marriage? Wasn't his parents got married the same way?
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Pak Pashtun Jan 07, 2022 03:08am
@semra khan I disagree, the reason why they are successful is because your parents know you better than yourself sometimes, not always but mostly and they can tell what kind of person is suitable for you the likeliest. Still guesswork and UpTo the couple to make it work, there is no one magic bullet.
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Pak Pashtun Jan 07, 2022 03:12am
@Taniya Southall? Makes perfect sense now. It's a different planet.
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A Jan 07, 2022 06:19am
No wonder why there are so many jokes about Pakistanis in UK.
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Realistic Jan 07, 2022 06:27am
This guy is a joker and attention seeker
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Anonymouseee Jan 07, 2022 09:00am
Arranged marriages are far more successful than love ones.
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Old Warty Toad in Well Jan 07, 2022 12:19pm
Sir, Escaping arrayed marriage involves finding your own BRIDE! Best Wishes!
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Zulfiqar Jan 07, 2022 08:57pm
@KPK Booster is marriage lasting longer the criteria for happiness?
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Laila Jan 09, 2022 07:33am
@Pakistan Zindabad how is this showing a negative image of Islam in the West?
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Laila Jan 09, 2022 07:38am
@Ahmad I don't know what world you live in but in the world the rest of us live in, yes, many parents from force their children to marry their choice instead of the children's choice or with the child's consent. The force can be explicit (threats of violence, captivity or honor killing) or implicit (emotional blackmail with family honor, parents health, heart issues etc)
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Laila Jan 09, 2022 07:42am
@semra khan I just love love love your comments. You are spot on.
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