British bachelor uses billboards to search for a wife

Jan. 5 (UPI) -- A British bachelor is taking an unorthodox approach to his search for the right mate: putting up billboards with his photo.

Muhammad Malik, 29, had multiple billboards put up in the Birmingham, England, area bearing the phrase, "Save me from an arranged marriage."

The billboards direct interested women to his website, findmalikawife.com.

Malik wrote on the website that a friend suggested he try advertising after he struck out on dating apps.

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

Malik said his ideal mate would be a woman in her 20s who shares his Muslim faith.

"I'm open to any ethnicity, but I've got a loud Punjabi family -- so you'd need to keep with the bants," he wrote.

The bachelor said that despite the slogan on his billboard, he isn't against arranged marriages.

"I think arranged marriages have a place and tradition in many Islamic cultures. In fact, there are many studies that show that arranged marriages have many advantages," he wrote. "I just want to try and find someone on my own first."

Malik told the BBC his billboards, which are scheduled to remain up through Jan. 14, have resulted in a flood of responses.

"I haven't had the time to look through yet," he said. "I need to set some time aside -- I hadn't thought this part through."