Large dowries: Youth forced to toil abroad for years

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): Residents of the Rustaq district of northern Takhar province complain about the high cost of weddings, including dowries.

They say the back-breaking costs and expenses incurred on weddings caused many girls to remain unmarried for long periods of time and forced boys into going abroad to earn the money they need.

Amak Jan, a resident of Rustaq district, told Pajhwok Afghan News that unacceptable and unwholesome traditions had sent dowry rates soaring.

Due to these traditions, she regretted, girls remained single until they attained ages of 35 or 40. Before tying the knot, she confirmed, youth had to toil for years in foreign countries.

Amak Jan said she had four young sons — all working in foreign countries because of financial woes.

The dowry amount ranges between 400,000afs and a million afghanis. In the current economic situation, many families are unable to hold wedding ceremonies for youth.

Abdul Shakoor, 30, has thrice gone abroad. However, he still failed to arrange the dowry cost. He urged the government to curb negative customs, including the bride price.

Abdul Wahid, a religious scholar, saw no justification in Islam for heavy dowries and marriage expenses. He slammed the tradition as unacceptable.

High wedding expenses compelled many youth to travel to other countries for work while girls had to stay single, he noted.

Maulvi Jamaluddin, head of the Vice and Virtue Department, acknowledged high dowries had created problems in society. The department is trying to eradicate such traditions.

It was part of his administration’s duty to eliminate such unacceptable customs in coordination with religious scholars, Abdul Wahid said.

However, prohibitively high dowries compel many young men to go abroad in quest of earning the required amounts of money.

As a consequence, girls wait for years for weddings. In some instances, girls opt for fleeing their homes and some youth resort to committing suicide.

aw/mud

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