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Herat couple forgo extravagant wedding, donate to the poor instead
A young couple in Herat province chose to forgo a lavish wedding, as is customary in Afghanistan, and instead donated the money to poor families.
The couple said their families had both been in agreement with their decision and together they held a no-frills marriage ceremony.
According to them, they did this in order to help create a culture of healing in society – amid rampant poverty and a collapsing economy.
“When we both thought about the wedding, we both did not feel good; I even cried. I was stressed from the moment I realized I needed to go to Herat to discuss the matter with my father, but I was very stressed and worried that my father and brothers would not agree. But when I got there, fortunately for us, they [my parents] were happy [with the idea],” said Malika Afzali, the bride.
The young couple got engaged four months ago and worked in Kabul for private organizations.
Malika who has an economics degree, and her husband, Ezatullah Samim, is an electronic engineer. Both have been unemployed since the collapse of the previous government.
Samim meanwhile told of the joy their decision brought.
“We had a very good feeling on the day we distributed our aid and when we helped the poor, we really had a great feeling and we really enjoyed those moments,” he said.
Malika’s family is also happy with the decision.
“Instead of booking the hall, beauty shop, and other things and paying exorbitant dowries, it is better for them to do good deeds and this is a good deed,” said Abdul Hamid Afzali, the bride’s father.
“My message to families of brides is to work with the groom’s family in this regard. At the very least, make sure that a couple can start their life without borrowing [money],” said Roullah Arshad, the bride’s brother.
It is common practice among Afghans to take out large loans for extravagant weddings where the guests can number in their hundreds, sometimes even thousands, and the bill can total tens of thousands of dollars.
Small, low-key weddings are unusual in the big cities and instead, celebrations are held in massive wedding halls adorned with bright neon lights.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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