Iraq (news - web sites) is a dangerous place. But not all the shooting at night is hostile. Much of the noise on weekends comes from wedding celebrations, where the joyful firing of weapons is a tradition.
Though firm national statistics aren't available, the number of marriages each month is believed to have increased at least 20% since the fall of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime - and by some estimates has almost doubled. Violence doesn't seem to have dampened the trend. Thursday, as fighting raged in Fallujah and a car bomb went off in Baghdad, hundreds of people lined up outside the al-Karakh courthouse in western Baghdad to file marriage contracts.
The Family Court judge there, Shaker Mahmoud al-Najar, says the court approves about 20 to 30 marriage contracts a day, about double prewar numbers.
Though firm national statistics aren't available, the number of marriages each month is believed to have increased at least 20% since the fall of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime - and by some estimates has almost doubled. Violence doesn't seem to have dampened the trend. Thursday, as fighting raged in Fallujah and a car bomb went off in Baghdad, hundreds of people lined up outside the al-Karakh courthouse in western Baghdad to file marriage contracts.
The Family Court judge there, Shaker Mahmoud al-Najar, says the court approves about 20 to 30 marriage contracts a day, about double prewar numbers.