:Shirini
{{for|the village in Iran|Shirini-ye Saqah}}
{{Orphan|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
Shirini -- literally means "sweets" in Persian language ("shirin" = sweet). In Afghan culture shirini (sweets) are given in celebration. For example engagement parties are called “Shirini Khori” which is when the woman’s family accepts the suitor and provides an engagement sweet tray to the grooms family. People will give Shirini to relatives and those close after a wedding too in celebration similar to bonbonnieres. Other examples include a job promotion or graduation, where the individual who has graduated or been promoted may provide sweets to close ones.
Shirini as metaphor for bribery
Shirini may also be used as a euphemism for bribes. {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LmyBDwAAQBAJ&q=shirini%2C+bribes&pg=PA154|title=Global Corruption from a Geographic Perspective|last=Warf|first=Barney|date=2018-12-26|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-030-03478-8|language=en}} In Afghanistan this has taken place under the Karzai administration bribes more commonly occurred in which people may refer bribes to Shirini. This can be attributed to the rampant culture of corruption and especially graft from police officers, who receive low salaries and are said to take bribes to subsist, to the highest level of government officials. Many interactions with authorities require shirini – like getting a new driver's license or paying a water or electricity bill. This discontent drove a wedge between the government and the Afghan people, who became increasingly resentful of the established politics under this administration. {{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2008-11-25-0811250113-story.html|title=Pervasive corruption fuels deep anger in Afghanistan|last=correspondent|first=Kim Barker, Tribune|website=chicagotribune.com|date=25 November 2008 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-14}} The western donors of Afghanistan and also by Afghan politicians, view the taming of corruption as crucial to the future of the country.{{cite news|last=Cooper |first=Helene |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?_r=1 |title=Obama Warns Karzai to Focus on Tackling Corruption |location=Afghanistan |work=The New York Times |date=2 November 2009 |accessdate=13 January 2012}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010901034.html |title=British FM says aid to Afghanistan conditional |newspaper=The Washington Post |accessdate=13 January 2012 }}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} As such, all candidates in the presidential elections in 2009 pledged to fight it. According to a survey by Integrity Watch Afghanistan in 2007, the average Afghan household had to pay round about $100 yearly in petty bribes, while 70 percent of the families in the poverty-stricken country survive on less than $1 a day.{{cite news|last=Caro |first=Mark |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/nov/25/nation/chi-afghan-corrupt_barkernov25 |title=Pervasive corruption fuels deep anger in Afghanistan – Many long for harsh but clean rule of Taliban |publisher=Archives.chicagotribune.com |accessdate=13 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091019054643/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/nov/25/nation/chi-afghan-corrupt_barkernov25 |archivedate=19 October 2009 }}{{cite journal|last=Barker |first=Kim |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/features/letters-from/letter-from-kabul-solving-afghanistans-problems?page=show |title=Letter from Kabul: solving Afghanistan's problems |journal=Foreign Affairs |publisher=Foreignaffairs.com |date=30 November 2009 |accessdate=13 January 2012}}
The report of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) titled Corruption in Afghanistan: Bribery as Reported by Victims,{{cite web|url=http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Afghanistan/Afghanistan-corruption-survey2010-Eng.pdf |title=Microsoft Word - Corruption report Afghanistan 15Jan10.doc |accessdate=13 January 2012}}{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/25456453/Corruption-in-Afghanistan-Unodc |title=Corruption in Afghanistan: Bribery as Reported by Victims |via=Scribd|date=20 January 2010 |accessdate=13 January 2012}} published in January 2010, calculated that Afghans had paid a staggering $1.2 billion bribes over a 12-month period ending Autumn 2009 – roughly equal to one quarter of the national GDP.{{cite web |url=http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2010/January/corruption-widespread-in-afghanistan-unodc-survey-says.html |title=Corruption widespread in Afghanistan, UNODC survey says |publisher=Unodc.org |date=19 January 2010 |accessdate=13 January 2012 |archive-date=16 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416023007/http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2010/January/corruption-widespread-in-afghanistan-unodc-survey-says.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2010/January/drain-the-swamp-of-corruption-in-afghanistan-says-unodc.html |title=""Drain the Swamp of Corruption in Afghanistan," Says UNODC" |publisher=Unodc.org |date=19 January 2010 |accessdate=13 January 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,672828,00.html |title=Corruption in Afghanistan -UN Report Claims Bribes Equal to Quarter of GDP |work=Der Spiegel |date=19 January 2010 |accessdate=13 January 2012 |last1=Gebauer |first1=Matthias |last2=Volkery |first2=Carsten }}[https://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/01/20/general-as-afghanistan_7286619.html "Afghanistan seeks new ideas against corruption"]{{dead link|date=January 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-afghan-corruption20-2010jan20,0,7909224.story |title=Corruption robs Afghans of a quarter of nation's GDP, report says |work=Los Angeles Times |date=20 January 2010 |accessdate=13 January 2012 |first=Alex |last=Rodriguez}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20100125222206/http://unambig.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/corruption-accounts-for-one-quarter-gdp-in-afghanistan/ "Corruption Accounts For One Quarter GDP In Afghanistan"]