RASC News Agency: Reports from Badakhshan indicate that the Taliban are compelling young men in the province to grow beards and avoid adopting hairstyles resembling Western or “English” styles. The Taliban’s police headquarters in Badakhshan has confirmed the directive, asserting that shaving beards or styling hair in Western fashion is “religiously prohibited.” In an official notice, the group also declared that acts such as shaving beards and consuming intoxicants, including cigarettes, would result in legal action.
According to local sources, Taliban members have been stopping young men on the streets, instructing them not to shave their beards. They have further demanded that hairstyles should align with those typically worn by Taliban fighters. The police command in Badakhshan reiterated that all residents must conform to the Taliban’s “principles and regulations.” They also emphasized the importance of attending prayers in mosques, making it a mandatory practice for the local population.
An official statement from the Taliban in Badakhshan additionally imposed restrictions on women, forbidding them from appearing in public spaces without adhering to “proper Islamic hijab.” Previously, several Taliban-run offices had mandated that government employees grow beards and wear traditional caps as part of their dress code. A local resident from Badakhshan revealed that this isn’t the first time such orders have been issued. The Taliban had previously directed young men to adopt hairstyles resembling those of Taliban fighters, but the instructions were largely ignored. The source added that the Taliban have now issued warnings, threatening imprisonment for those who fail to comply.
Similar decrees have been enforced in other provinces, where the Taliban have repeatedly instructed young men to grow beards and emulate the physical appearance of their fighters. Such measures are part of a broader campaign to impose the group’s strict interpretation of cultural and religious norms across Afghanistan.
