uncles

Q: I am a Muslim Arab born and live in the U.K. I'm in the process of marrying an amazing Bengali girl. There's just one problem, her father and mother were divorced ages ago and she hasn't seen her father in 4 years. She has tried to contact him to be her wali as that's what the Quran says but no reply. It's been about a week and half but we want the nikah to be as quick as possible so we don't delay it. What should we do? Should we wait till her father replys no matter how long we wait? Her father has no family here in the U.K. either?

Q: I have a question regarding the validity of my friends nikah. My friends uncle touched my friend with lust when she was almost 10 or 12 years old. Afterwards he didnt do such things with her. At the time of nikah, my freind chose her uncle as the wali or as we say, the wakeel of the nikah from her side. Now she has four children and she is worried if her nikah is valid or not.

Q: I would like to know is it possible for a girl to take her uncle or any other guy relative as her wali while her father is alive? People in my place where I live tell their daughters when the mufti ask you who is your wali then tell him your uncle, etc. So during nikah the girl takes someone else as her wali instead of her father. And that also when the father is alive living with the girl and happy with the marriege? Is this kind of nikah valid? In Islam is this permissible or is it just a cultural thing? I am really confused. I heard in proper Islamic nikah, the wali must be the girl's father unless he is dead.

Q: Is it permissible for me to hug my uncles e.g. mother's brothers and father's brothers?