Engaged Badghis youth struggling to earn dowry payments

QALA-I-NAW (Pajhwok): A number of engaged youth in northwestern Badghis province complain about the increased dowry and say due to deteriorated economic condition they are unable to arrange the amount and perform wedding.

High amount of dowries is an unpleasant custom not only in Badghis but some other provinces of the country and as a result many youth remain unmarried years.

Most youth are forced to migrate to other countries to arrange the dowry amount.

Mohammad Noor, 30, a resident of Qala-i-Naw, said he was engaged eight years ago and his in laws had set 800,000 afs dowry cost. He said the amount was out of his reach and he was forced to travel to Iran to work and earn it.

“I started working in a factory in Iran and saved some money but I was electrocuted and my one hand disabled and I returned to the country.”

Noor who got married last year said currently he was unable to work and was having a difficult life.

Mahmood, 22, another Badghis youth, complained against high dowry amount and said he was engaged two months earlier and his in laws had set 750,000 afs dowry amount. He said after earning this amount, he would be able to bring his bride home.

Information and Cultural Affairs Director MawlaviBaz Mohammad Sarwari urged families to facilitate youth and avoid setting high dowry.

He said in the past dowry amount was set 300,000 afs and efforts would be made to reduce the amount.

Noor Ahmad Hamid, a religious scholar, said Islam encouraged lower Mahr amount. “Mahr amount should be set according to the economic ability of people,” he said.

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