The government of Azerbaijan is about to tell its citizens to mourn their dead more frugally, as the cost of religious ceremonies and funeral dinners for hundreds of guests increasingly drives Azerbaijanis into debt.
The government believes that regulation of expressions of grief is the only way to stop the debt spiral. A draft bill prepared by the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party proposes setting limits on the scale and scope of funeral ceremonies. Multi-course meals will be either banned outright or replaced by hors d’œuvres.
Only registered religious institutions will be allowed to accept donations from the bereaved and perform funeral services. If the bill becomes law, the government will get a role in tracking donations to religious organizations.
Sociologist Javid Imamoglu commented to Trend news service that while the ban on multi-course dinners will help Azerbaijan's underprivileged, bill supporters should research various religious groups' funeral traditions before the draft legislation is signed into law.
Giorgi Lomsadze is a journalist based in Tbilisi, and author of Tamada Tales.
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