By Sabiu Abdullahi
Fifty couples exchanged vows in a joint ceremony held in one of Kabul’s wedding halls on Monday in an effort to alleviate the financial burden of traditional weddings.
With dancing and music now restricted by Taliban authorities, weddings in the country have taken on a more austere tone.
The City Star wedding hall near the airport hosted the event, where around a hundred turbaned men, exclusively male attendees, gathered in traditional attire.
The absence of women was notable, reflecting the changed dynamics under the current regime.
Roohullah Rezayi, 18, shared that economic constraints led them to choose this collective celebration.
A member of the Hazara Shiite minority, Rezayi earns a modest income from odd jobs, making a grand wedding financially unfeasible.
Organized by the Selab Foundation, the event provided a financial boost to each couple, receiving donations equivalent to $1,600.
Additionally, couples received essential items such as toothpaste, shampoo, and moisturiser, along with household appliances and furnishings.
Despite the restrictions, the large, chilly hall witnessed the presence of hundreds of male guests in traditional attire.
An official from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice delivered a speech, accompanied by Quran recitations. The brides-to-be remained out of sight until after lunch, fully veiled.
This joint ceremony emerged as a practical solution, as more elaborate weddings in Afghanistan can surpass $20,000 and accommodate over 1,000 guests.
Out of the 600 couples who applied for Monday’s mass wedding, only fifty were selected, marking a significant and cost-effective step into married life for these couples.
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