RASC News Agency: Several professors at Herat University report that the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in the province has issued strict warnings, threatening imprisonment for any professor who shaves his beard. One professor, who spoke anonymously, disclosed that they were also mandated to attend daily congregational prayers without exception.
According to him, the Taliban’s virtue office in Herat warned that professors who fail to maintain beards or neglect attendance at daily prayers will face detainment. Sources reported on Tuesday that a Taliban representative from the ministry held a meeting with approximately 40 professors and department heads at Herat University. Numerous professors indicate that the Taliban official announced a new mandate: growing beards and attending congregational prayers are now compulsory for all faculty members.
One professor described the gathering: “Yesterday, during a session attended by department heads and faculty leaders, the head of Herat’s virtue office warned that all staff must maintain beards and attend congregational prayers or face imprisonment. Notably, the beard requirement is specific: it must cover three sides, closely resembling the style of the Taliban.” Meanwhile, Basir Ahmad Danishyar, a former professor at Herat University, remarked, “With such tactics, they aim to replace skilled professionals with ideologically aligned individuals, as qualified staff members leave due to these pressures and restrictions. This approach is unacceptable for our society.”
Since their takeover, the Taliban have repeatedly instructed university faculty members to grow beards, enforcing it as part of their interpretation of religious standards.
