KABUL (SW) – The ‘Parto Library’ in Kabul on Wednesday held a public gathering in a bid to promote a social debate to cut down extravagant spendings on weddings.
A number of university professors and religious scholars in this meeting said that consumerism in weddings can lead to running away from home and family violence against girls. Mohammad Baqer Hosseini, professor of a university, said: “Our request to all families and all young people is that instead of these exorbitant wedding expenses, it is better to spend modestly on weddings.”
Hafizullah Akbari, a religious scholar, considered weddings as one of the vital issues among young people and stated that consumerism in weddings is contrary to religious teachings. He urged families to avoid imposing high consumption on boys for marriage.
Meanwhile, a number of younsters consider the high expenses of the wedding party as an obstacle.
Shazia, a Kabul-based youngster, who has been looking forward to holding her wedding party for a year, said that poverty and high wedding expenses and inter-ethnic differences have made it difficult for many girls and boys to hold a wedding party. She added: “I want the families that have daughters not to spend lavishly that are beyond anyone’s ability. They should cooperate with their son-in-law’s family so that the daughter and son-in-law can have a happy life.”
Nazeera Hosseini, a resident of Kabul, asked families in Afghanistan to refrain from following unsavory customs in weddings and hold their children’s wedding ceremony at a low cost. “In a situation where most people live below the poverty line, they should consume less, and this is beneficial to both the bride’s family and the groom’s family.”
High wedding expenses and demands from the bride’s family to the boy’s family have caused a large number of young people in Afghanistan to refrain from getting married despite their desire to get married. On the other hand, a large number of young boys, especially in the villages, are forced to migrate to neighboring countries and the region to work for their wedding expenses. The high costs of weddings and the inability of families to provide for them have caused that for several years now, a number of relief organizations in different provinces have been organizing joint wedding parties in groups where 50 to 100 boys and girls get married.
ENDS
