50 couples tie the knot in Afghanistan

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2008

HERAT, Afghanistan (AFP) — About 50 Afghan couples tied the knot in the western city of Herat late Sunday, an Islamic charity said, in what is believed to be the first mass marriage in the country.

The men and women were married at a ceremony attended by about 1,500 guests and paid for by the Islamic charity, Comfort Aid International, an organiser said.

"These couples are mainly from poor communities and could not afford the big costs of a normal wedding," said Mahdi Haidarpour, who heads Comfort Aid International in Herat.

The event cost about 30,000 dollars, which included a 600-dollar cash present for each couple, Haidarpour said.

Like most weddings in deeply conservative Afghanistan, the brides and grooms were separated for the ceremony.

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