Exchange Marriage

 Written by: Fereshta Sahak

Afghans have varieties of marriages. One of them is Exchange Marriage. This kind of marriage creates many problems for both sides, bride’s and groom’s families. Writer/producer AEPO has talked to some people regarding this issue.

Hanifa, a resident of Paghman district of Kabul province says:

My family married me to a boy whose sister is married to my brother. I face many problems. My husband and their family were always beating me and I was forced to sleep in the yard with my small kids and they were not giving me anything to eat. Now I have some mental problems.

Another woman, Khadija says: the exchange marriage has no happiness at all. If my brother wife faces a problem, they face me with the same problem. If my father’s family doesn’t take my brother’s wife to a doctor, my husband’s family acts the same.

How could we solve this problem?

Dil Agha, the director of the village council of Farza district of Kabul province says:

We have a council in our village which consists of 12 members from 4 deferent tribes. There is a Mullah, a teacher and an elder from each tribe. We have banned on exchange marriage and everyone should pay the dowry to the bride.

The Mullah announces regarding that Islam does not allow Muslim to exchange girls for marriage. If anyone would not accept this decision, they would pay fine and no villager would participate in his wedding ceremony.