Iraqis Offer Bonus For Mixed Marriages
Iraqi VP launches new initiative aimed at ending sectarianism
Baghdad, Oct 2, (VOI) - Iraqi Vice President on Tuesday announced a new initiative to encourage mixed-marriages between various creeds, considering it an initiative toward the comprehensive national reconciliation project.
“We have to break the barriers that contributed to our dilemma by allowing the marriage between Sunnis and Shiites to rise above sectarianism,” al-Hashemi’s office said in a statement quoting him during a festivity in Baghdad to distribute grants among the newly married.
“We have to say that an Iraqi man is marrying an Iraqi woman,” he added.
“The hope still exists and the most important thing is to build a new family,” the Sunni official asserted in the statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
“We want to make up for our losses…we should encourage early marriages and the widow has to marry someone to protect her,” al-Hashemi noted.
The vice president also praised the Sunni young men who decided to marry Shiite women, voicing hope that such marriages spread throughout Iraq.
“Young men and women will get $ 750 each to help them in their marriages,” Director of al-Hashemi’s office Lubna al-Hashemi told the VOI.
“The grant will be doubled to reach $1500 in cases of mixed marriages,” she affirmed.
The festivity was attended by a number of Iraqi poets, including Adel Mohsen and Udai al-Sultani.
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That’s a great idea. Use the Turkish model and keep mosque seperate from state. It is an important distinction to be made, that (e.g.) just because a Kurd marries a non-Kurd, it does not make the average Iraqi, any less of a citizen, or any less loyal to family, just because the bethothed is not of the same religious preference.
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:03 pmhopefully there will be some love success stories ;
I wonder if the marriages are arranged by the families though ;
if the man does it for the money and then divorces, might be a loto
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:05 pmvery interesting
What about a jewish pig farmer marrying a Shiite or Sunni bride?
How far does their tolerance of others reach?
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:06 pmThat’s an interesting picture - the walls designed to stop sectarian violence, and the wedding that may render them unnecessary. It is actually a very powerful image, but since it shows an American soldier in a non-threatening posture it will never be considered for any journalism prizes.
But of course, journalists aren’t biased. Of course not! They’re too professional for that sort of thing.
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:13 pmSteve:
No doubt this does not apply to Dhimis. Jews and Christians probably need not apply. There is only about 8 Jews left in Iraq. And they are in hiding. The ones that were not hung by Saddam have fled. And many of the Christians are doing likewise. Many cannot afford the Dhimi taxes charged by the irhabis. The choice is pay or die…or run…
There won’t be any pig farmer marriages any time soon.
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:28 pmI think this is crap. It’s akin to affirmative action. Preach eqaulity eqaulity eqaulity and then act the opposite.
What would you think if they started this in the US.
Marry someone of a different race or religion and get 1500 bucks!! If they are both different race and religion it’s 3000.
Fuck That
October 2nd, 2007 at 3:59 pmDmac
I bet the moralists appreciate the idea
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:22 pmD Mac:
The idea is a good one, beacuse it addresses the problem of sectarian division. If these people intermarry, those divisions will fade away. That’s what makes it a good idea.
Beats hell out of killing each other.
Frenchy:
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:23 pmMoralist? What the fuck are you talking about stupid. This has nothing to do with either morals or affirmative action. This is another tool in the arsenal to minimize these sectariam divisions.
Danny, your “renversant” ;
really, I admire your sagacity
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:17 am