Karzai Tells Afghans to Ditch Lavish Weddings

President Hamid Karzai advised Afghans not to hold extravagant wedding parties saying in his weekly radio address to the nation on Friday that they were "against the national tradition."

Since the fall of the Taliban nearly a decade ago, marriage ceremonies in Afghan cities have often gone from being simple family affairs to lavish parties for up to 1,000 people in neon-clad wedding halls.

The ability to put on such an ostentatious display of wealth has become a test of honor for the groom, who traditionally foots the entire bill himself and sometimes also has to pay a dowry to his bride's family.

But Karzai's government is discussing moves to clamp down on the trend.

"As we know, there is not any other place in the world where such big and extravagant wedding parties are held as it is in Afghanistan," Karzai declared, according to a transcript of his radio address.

"It would be better if those families who are prosperous make their wedding ceremonies as simple as possible.

"That way, those who are not so wealthy will not be made to borrow for their wedding and engagement ceremonies in order to compete with others."

He added that lavish weddings -- usually celebrated with separate parties for men and women featuring food, music and dancing -- were "against our religious orders and national tradition" and a new innovation in Afghanistan.

The Afghan justice ministry drafted a law last year to ban big spending on weddings to make it easier for young people in the ultra-conservative Islamic country to get married.

The new bill would restrict the number of guests at a wedding party to 300 and limit spending per guest to around five dollars.

The proposed law has been welcomed by many Afghans but faces opposition by wealthy wedding hall owners and has yet to win the approval of the country's cabinet and parliament.