Eid: Govt, ulema should prevent people from bad customs

FARAH CITY (Pajhwok): Some residents of western Farah province even borrow money to compete with others in Eid spending as part of bad customs.

Local residents say the government and religious scholars should prevent people from practicing wrong customs and unnecessary expenses during Eid holidays through public awareness.

Mohammad Arif, a 27-year-old resident of Darabad village in Farah City, said: “It has become a tradition that people spend a lot of money on Eid shopping whether they can afford it or not.”

He said he got engaged two years ago and his in-laws lived in Iran. He said he had paid the bride price (Walwar) and used to send Eid gifts to inlaws in Iran from here.

He asked the government and religious scholars to educate people about such issues and prevent bad practices.

“Bad customs have a negative impact on people’s lives. I borrowed money from people and bought gifts for my in-laws.”

Religious scholars and civil society activists also condemn unnecessary spending and wrong traditions and ask people to refrain from such actions not only during Eid days, but always.

Religious scholar Maulvi Mohammad Sadiq Tariq told Pajhwok: “Eid is a public happiness, it should not be confined to a few families, we should see the whole community happy.”

He said: “If a person can afford to buy things worth 10,000 afghanis for his fiancée, he should buy items worth 7,000 afghanis and give the remaining 3,000 afs to the poor.”

Civil society activist Muhammad Younas Sapand also said that people’s economic situation was not good, therefore, excessive spending on Eid should be avoided.

He said wrong customs had forced families of grooms to spend a lot of money unnecessarily.

“Extravagance is forbidden, but unfortunately it has become a tradition. Some people even borrow money from others and spend a lot on Eid days.”

He added that everyone should spend money according to their ability instead of borrowing money from other people.

Dr. Mohammad Aseel Achakzai, a civil society activist in Farah, also asked People to shun wrong customs that force fiancés to borrow money and buy unnecessary things for their fiancees.

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