在人均年收入不足400美元的阿富汗,奢華的婚禮和攀比之風(fēng)卻隨處可見(jiàn)。為此,阿富汗政府計(jì)劃頒布禁令,禁止人們不顧實(shí)際經(jīng)濟(jì)能力舉辦過(guò)于奢華的婚禮。在阿富汗的傳統(tǒng)中,婚禮要在豪華的宴會(huì)廳舉辦,新郎的家人要為所有開(kāi)銷(xiāo)買(mǎi)單,同時(shí)還要答應(yīng)新娘及其家人提出的任何要求。阿富汗司法部長(zhǎng)表示,人們辦婚禮就像在比賽,誰(shuí)也不甘落后,每家都會(huì)在花費(fèi)不菲的婚宴上招待數(shù)百賓客以炫耀自己的財(cái)力;而其實(shí)每個(gè)家庭都是這個(gè)錯(cuò)誤傳統(tǒng)的受害者。據(jù)悉,該禁令的具體方案還在商討中,因奢華婚禮之風(fēng)已成氣候,禁令執(zhí)行將面臨困難重重。不過(guò),阿富汗部分地區(qū)的部落長(zhǎng)老已達(dá)成一致,禁止舉辦豪華婚禮、置辦豪華嫁妝,鼓勵(lì)年輕人早日結(jié)婚,不因物質(zhì)條件拖延婚期。
Afghan weddings are celebrated by hundreds of guests in luxurious wedding halls with the groom and his family expected to foot the bill and agree to every request of the bride and her family. |
Extravagant weddings with music and dance were banned by Afghanistan's Taliban as un-Islamic and now the government plans to again rein in lavish marriage celebrations, but this time to stop grooms going broke.
Since U.S.-backed Afghan forces ousted the strict Islamist Taliban in 2001, Afghans have revived the tradition of holding big weddings, costing thousands of dollars, in a country where the average annual income is less than $400.
Afghan weddings are celebrated by hundreds of guests in luxurious wedding halls with the groom and his family expected to foot the bill and agree to every request of the bride and her family.
"Wedding ceremonies among people are like a competition, no one wants to come last, people like to show off their wealth by feeding hundreds of guests in costly wedding halls," said Justice Minister Habibullah Ghaleb.
"Families are the victim of such a wrong tradition and have to accept these heavy burdens," he said.
Details of the planned ban on expensive weddings were still being worked out, said Justice Ministry spokesman Farid Ahmad Najibi, and he acknowledged it could be difficult to enforce because lavish weddings were so ingrained in Afghan culture.
The government's bid to regulate weddings follows similar moves by some tribal elders and provincial officials.
Late last month, elders from several villages in northern Jawzjan province banned expensive weddings and dowries in a bid to encourage young people to marry instead of postponing their nuptials because they could not afford it.
Under the rules, the cost of a wedding must be in line with the economic status of the groom, and if someone violates the ban then they will not be invited to any other weddings in the village.
"Marriage is everyone's right and it must not be presented as a huge burden for the bride and groom," said Azaad Khwa, an elder from Jawzjan. "Making the groom's family pay for everything and feed hundreds is a big sin."
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