"Taliban" closed 12 barbershops, citing short-trimmed beards — source

The Taliban closed 12 barber shops, citing short-trimmed beards as the reason — source

In the city of Qalat in Afghanistan's Zabul province, the Taliban closed down 12 barber shops over the past week. The group accused them of immoral behavior.

According to a source on September 5, Taliban representatives visited the barber shops and warned the owners not to engage in activities that contradict government principles.

It is noted that employees of the Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice closed the barber shops after seeing people with short-trimmed beards.

"They came here, disrespected us, and used insulting words. When we tried to defend ourselves, they told us not to speak and ordered us to close our shops," said one of the barbers, who wished to remain anonymous.

The barbers say that the Taliban does not allow anyone to speak against them. Anyone who talks back to them could be imprisoned.

According to another barber who has been working in the city of Qalat for many years, the Taliban closed his shop. After that, the barbers were held for several hours in a container at the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue. They were later released after a letter of guarantee was obtained.

According to the source, the Taliban told the barbers not to cut people's hair in the French style or other styles deemed unacceptable by the government.

The barbers stated that the Taliban had warned all barbers. If their work does not comply with the principles of the Taliban movement in the future, their barber shops will be closed permanently.

This situation is being observed throughout Afghanistan, including outside Zabul. People are increasingly complaining about the Taliban's morality police. Residents state that they are pressuring and mistreating people under various pretexts.

It is noted that citizens were required to hang flags on shops and houses. Those who did not follow the order were threatened with the closure of their commercial outlets.