The Taliban, which almost ended women’s rights, has now started restricting the freedom of men in Afghanistan. The Taliban have banned hairdressers in Afghanistan’s Helmand province from shaving or cutting beards, saying it violates their interpretation of Islamic law. The Ministry of Islamic Orientation held a meeting with representatives of hairdressing salons and advised them against styling beards and hair.
The order also ordered not to play music or bhajans in hairdressing salons. Reportedly, some hairdressers in the capital Kabul have also received similar orders.
“If anyone is found trimming a beard or playing music in a salon, they will be dealt with in accordance with Sharia principles and they will have no right to complain,” the statement said.
Since the capture of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on August 15, the Taliban started implementing Sharia law across the country. Recently, the organization publicly hanged people in Herat for allegedly kidnapping them.
While restrictions on men are limited, the organization’s action on women is being tightened. Women have been banned from politics and many restrictions have been imposed on their movement. The new Taliban regime has said that women will only be allowed to work and study according to Islamic laws.
Afghan barbers in the area said prohibition has made it more difficult for them to make a living as civilians are now trying to blend in to avoid Taliban fighters. Despite promising otherwise, the Taliban have slowly begun to re-enact repressive laws and regressive policies. They are imposing laws that define its 1996–2001 rule when they implemented their version of Islamic Sharia law.
The Taliban have captured Kabul after an aggressive and swift advance against Afghan government forces amid the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from the country. The country plunged into crisis after Kabul fell into the hands of the Taliban last month and the democratically elected government of former President Ashraf Ghani.