LILLE, France, June 5 (UPI) -- The French justice ministry is appealing a court decision to annul a Muslim marriage after the bride allegedly lied about being a virgin, officials say.
The decision, made by a court in Lille, France, prompted a flood of public complaints that the nation is replacing secular beliefs with cultural customs practiced in expanding immigrant populations, the Telegraph reported Thursday.
The court ruled the Muslim wife lied about being "single and chaste" after her husband said she failed to stain a sheet with blood on their wedding night.
The decision came under fire from politicians, reporters, feminists and civil rights groups after it was published in a legal journal a week ago.
The decision "is a real fatwa against the emancipation and liberty of women," Urban Affairs Minister Fadela Amara said.
An appeal was lodged Tuesday and the case may be heard by three judges by the end of the month, said Eric Vaillant of the appeals court in Douai.
