Following new and strict bans on women in Afghanistan, the Taliban has begun implementing severe restrictions on men as well.
Afghan women have faced increasingly harsh restrictions on their personal freedoms and attire since the Taliban seized power three years ago. However, men in urban areas had mostly been able to live freely.
The last four weeks have brought significant changes for men in the country as well.
New laws issued in late August mandate that men grow a beard at least a fist's length long.
'CONTRARY TO ISLAMIC LAW' HAIRCUTS BANNED
The bans also prohibit imitating non-Muslims in appearance or behavior, which is widely interpreted as a ban on jeans.
It also prohibits haircuts that are contrary to Islamic law, which refers to short or Western-style haircuts.
Men are also now forbidden from looking at women other than their wives or relatives.
As a result, more people are growing beards, carrying prayer mats, and stopping wearing jeans.
These first serious restrictions on men have come as a surprise to many in Afghanistan.
'EVERYONE IS GROWING A BEARD BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BE QUESTIONED'
In a society where a man's voice is generally much more powerful than a woman's, some men are now wondering if they should have spoken up earlier to defend the freedoms of their wives and daughters.
An Afghan man living in the capital, Kabul, who spoke to the American newspaper The Washington Post, said, "If men had raised their voices, we might be in a different situation right now. Now, everyone is growing a beard because we don't want to be questioned or humiliated."
The newly empowered morality police, known for their white robes, have been knocking on the doors of men who have not attended mosque in Kabul for the past four weeks.
Government employees fear they will be fired for not growing their beards.
TRANSPORTING UNACCOMPANIED FEMALE PASSENGERS IS ALSO 'OBJECTIONABLE'
Male taxi drivers are being stopped for violating gender segregation rules, having unaccompanied female passengers in their cars, or playing music.
The new laws grant the morality police the authority to hold suspects in custody for up to three days.
In Afghanistan, girls are banned from attending school after the sixth grade, and women are banned from entering universities. Recently, they were also banned from raising their voices in public.
The new religious law issued late last month prohibits women from raising their voices, reciting the Quran in public, and looking at men other than their husbands or relatives.
News Source: 12punto
