Waleed Al-Saleem
One of my followers on Twitter sent me this message, “Please write about the ostentatious display of wealth through the waste of food during weddings and family events. Much of the food at such events goes to waste. I hope you focus on this issue and raise public awareness about the importance of not wasting food.”
His message sums it all up and pinpoints a real problem that many Saudis suffer from. A large number of Saudis tend to boast about the number of camels and sheep they slaughter and serve at weddings and the number of rice plates they put on tables. Some tribes compete with others in the ostentatious display of wealth during weddings. Why is the wasting of food on the increase? We definitely need drastic solutions.
When we look at this problem and try to analyze it, we find that it all boils down to our way of thinking. It is a mental problem more than anything else. It is only inside our minds and we need to change our mindset. Unfortunately, the situation has become worse lately and we have all seen videos on social media showing people at weddings serving large amounts of food and boasting about it. For some reason, some tribes believe that it is a form of generosity and a way to show respect to wedding guests.
I do not truly know if this problem started before the popularity of social media. But I know that websites have made us realize we have a problem. Perhaps it has been going on for years and we have simply not realized it. Regardless of when it all started, the majority of the public are against it and they call for holding anyone engaging in such extravagant activity accountable before the law. It is good to see this general consensus, which means many disapprove of such acts.
But I have noticed that many of those involved in these negative practices come from middle-class backgrounds and some belong to limited-income families. They are certainly not rich. One thing is certain: they misunderstand the meaning of generosity and hospitality. It is very important that our children today realize that such practices are negative and understand that wasting food is not permitted in Islam.
