President Calls Time on Lavish Traditions

President Imomali Rahmon has launching an awareness campaign in an attempt to prevent people in Tajikistan from spending too much money on extravagant family celebrations and ceremonies, but NBCentralAsia observers say the campaign is not enough on its own and officials should first set an example themselves.



On April 2, President Rahmon reiterated his concern that people in Tajikistan spend too much money on family celebrations and ceremonies. He instructed officials to set up a special working group to study the issue and launch an awareness-raising campaign to curb the population’s spending.



The president first expressed his concern at the widespread extravagance five years ago, but no concrete measures were taken, according to Professor Olimjon Khujamurodov.



People in Tajikistan spend about one billion US dollars a year on family events, the most expensive being weddings, circumcision parties and and funerals. Funeral traditions are particularly costly, and are followed by commemorations where guests are offered food nearly every week for a year after the funeral.



Writer Urun Kuhzod says new traditions are being invented all the time. “Strange traditions are developing - money is handed out to everyone who comes to a funeral commemoration, and lavish meals are provided. In some villages in the Zerafshan valley, the clergy will now refuse to pray for the deceased if the relatives can’t pay him.”



Orientalist and academic Sherzod Abdullaev says many of the Tajik customs associated with religious events are not shared by Muslim groups elsewhere.



“Most of the traditions that have appeared recently are based on prejudice, superstition and sometimes even fanaticism. They have nothing to do with either Islam or Tajik tradition,” he said, adding, “Such unnecessary rituals should be banned.”



A mullah from Dushanbe, Saifullo Rahim, pointed out that two decades ago, when Tajikistan was still under Soviet rule, ceremonies and weddings were modest. Now the majority people feel compelled to imitate the wealthy minority by spending large sums of money that they often cannot afford.



“Extravagant ceremonies have come in because people are following the example set by the ‘new Tajiks’. These oligarchs flash their wealth around, literally throwing Tajik money and dollars about,” said the mullah.



The example is catching, and as sociologist Homidi Samadi points out, “many people borrow money so they can organise lavish weddings for their children and keep up with the neighbours”.



Some local communities, however, choose to hold inexpensive events, and Samadi thinks their example should be followed.



“In some mahallah [neighbourhoods] in the Soghd region, elders have compiled a programme for the way all events should be conducted. They are modest and low-cost. Special brochures on how to conduct ceremonies like these should be distributed in every mahallah,” said Samadi.



According to Shokirjon Hakimov, deputy head of the Social Democratic party, state officials should set an example to others given that they are often the most extravagant spenders.



When state officials hold frequent pompous celebrations, Hakimov says it creates public discontent, since these individuals flagrantly spend far more than they earn.



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)