The Taliban on Monday banned barbershops in a southern Afghanistan province from shaving or trimming beards, claiming their edict is in line with Shariah, or Islamic, law. The order in Helmand province was issued by the provincial Taliban government’s vice and virtue department to barbers in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital.
Anyone violating the rule will be punished, the Taliban’s religious police have said. During their previous rule of Afghanistan, the Taliban adhered to a harsh interpretation of Islam. Since overrunning Kabul on Aug 15 and again taking control of the country, the world has been watching to see whether they will re-create their strict governance of the late 1990s.
The order to ban people from trimming beards is not the first of its kind. The insurgent regime, since coming to power, has come up with multiple decrees against women, Afghan culture and traditional pastimes.
Here’s the list of some of its recent prohibitions for the people.
MUSIC AND FEMALE VOICES
The Taliban have banned music and female voices on television and radio channels in Kandahar province. This comes after some media outlets removed their female anchors after the Taliban took over Afghanistan on August 15.
Reports also said that several women staff members were asked to return from their workplaces since the takeover. However, the Taliban has assured that they would let women continue working and would allow them to study under Islamic law.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
A month after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the music is going quiet. Amid Taliban rule, shocking visuals was reported from Kabul’s National Music Institute as the Taliban reportedly destroyed musical instruments including piano and drum set.
The pictures were shared by an account which was later deleted from Twitter. The pictures posted on the now-deleted account featured drums and piano in damaged condition. The pictures shared by the singer Aryan Khan shows his damaged piano and shattered drums. Meanwhile, many wedding halls are limiting music at their gatherings. Musicians are afraid to perform.
IPL
The UAE leg of the IPL 2021 will not be telecast in Afghanistan, as has been the case in the past, due to possible ‘anti-islam contents’ that could be aired during the programming. Afghanistan, now under the control of the Taliban. The regime has banned most forms of entertainment — including many sports – and Women were completely banned from playing sport.
Former Afghanistan Cricket Board media manager and journalist, M Ibrahim Momand, sent out a tweet stating that due to possible anti-islam content, girls dancing & the attendance of barred hair women in the Islamic Emirates of the Taliban, IPL broadcast is banned in the country.