The Taliban regime continues to impose ban after ban. This time, the new administration has prohibited men from displaying a 'Western' appearance, banning men's haircuts and beards, as well as the wearing of 'Western' clothing.
This decision came after the restrictions previously imposed on women and once again highlighted the regime's anti-Western stance.
The Taliban has started to tighten its grip on Afghan men after imposing bans on women living in Afghanistan. Afghan men, who are now the new target of the Taliban, will no longer be allowed to appear "Western."
Afghan women have faced increasingly severe restrictions on their personal freedoms and clothing since the Taliban took power three years ago. However, men in urban areas have mostly been able to live freely.
The last four weeks have brought significant changes for men in the country as well. New laws enacted at the end of August mandate that men must grow beards to a fist's length.
According to the Washington Post, the laws also prohibit imitating non-Muslims in appearance or behavior, which is widely interpreted as a ban on jeans. They also prohibit haircuts that are considered short or Western styles, which are against Islamic laws. Men are now also 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.
The newly empowered morality police, known for their white robes, have been knocking on the doors of men in Kabul who have not gone to the mosque in the last four weeks. Government employees fear they will be fired for not growing their beards.
Male taxi drivers are being stopped for violating gender discrimination rules, having female passengers without a male companion in their cars, or playing music. The new laws give the morality police the authority to detain suspects for up to three days.
However, the Taliban's new rules regarding men pale in comparison to the restrictions imposed on girls and women by the government. In Afghanistan, girls are banned from attending school after the sixth grade, and women are barred from entering universities. Recently, they have also been prohibited from raising their voices in public. A new religious law enacted at the end of last month prohibits women from raising their voices, reading the Quran in public, and looking at men other than their husbands or relatives.
