Don’t Trim Beards, The Taliban Tell Afghan Barbers

The Taliban have banned hairdressers in Afghanistan’s Helmand province from shaving or trimming beards, saying it breaches their reading of Islamic law.

Some barbers in the capital Kabul have said they also received similar orders, with one saying he received a call from someone claiming to be a government official.

They instructed him to “stop following American styles” and not to shave or trim anyone’s beard, he said.

Barbers say the new rules are making it hard for them to make a living.

“Fashion salons and barbers are becoming forbidden businesses,” one told the BBC. “This was my job for 15 years and I don’t think I can continue.”

When the Taliban were in power from 1996 to 2001, the group banned flamboyant hairstyles and insisted that men grow beards. But since then, clean-shaven looks have become popular and many Afghan men have gone to salons for fashionable cuts.