Baghdad, August 06: Iraq has a program in place that offers USD 2,000 to every couple that unites the two major Muslim sects, encouraging marriages between Sunni and Shia.
The Iraqi government launched the program in an attempt to heal the sectarian divide that threatens the country’s diverse culture.
The government program was initiated following the bombing of a major Shia shrine in 2006 that elevated the importance of security concerns in the country.
According to the Associated Press, more than 1,700 newlywed couples have accepted cash from the government program as a step toward bridging the two points of view.
Mass weddings for these couples are held in a club that once was used by Saddam Hussein’s army, a symbolic measure demonstrating cultural progress in Iraq.
Though the Iraqi government does not keep the track of mixed marriages, they claim the program has cost them over USD 3 million.
Experts believe the rise in mixed marriages is a sign showing the return of peace to Iraqi society.
—-Agencies