Taliban ban barbers from trimming beards in Afghanistan province

The Taliban, which have taken power after 20 years of conflict, are ordering locals to follow strict rules, banning barbers from trimming beards, a rule imposed in the past (1996-2001) before it was removed from power.

According to BBC on Sunday, the Taliban banned hairdressers in Afghanistan’s Helmand province from shaving beards, saying it breaches Sharia law. A hairdresser running a large salon in Kabul said a government official instructed him to “stop following American styles” while warning him to follow Sharia law for beards. Another hairdresser in Kabul said the Taliban said they can send undercover inspectors to crack down on them. A notice has been posted at a barber shop in Helmand that read, “No one has a right to complain.” The Taliban warned that anyone who violates the rules will be punished, BBC reported.

Sharia law states that having a beard is following the life of the Prophet Muhammad, but the extent to which the law is actually accepted varies widely by country and culture. The Taliban, however, harshly punished adult males in the past for not growing beards. In particular, the Hazara, an ethnic minority who genetically have sparse beards, were persecuted by the Taliban.


Jong-Yeob JO jjj@donga.com