Taliban Sacks Khost Civil Servants Over Beard Length
Several government employees in Khost province say the Taliban have detained them for up to 24 hours and then dismissed them from their jobs for having what officials deem to be short beards.
Several government employees in Khost province say the Taliban have detained them for up to 24 hours and then dismissed them from their jobs for having what officials deem to be short beards.
Civil servants told Afghanistan International that officers from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, acting on orders from the department’s head in Khost, have been visiting government offices to inspect employees’ appearance, particularly their beards.
According to the employees, staff in several offices have faced insults, threats and humiliation solely because their beards are considered too short, despite being civilian workers with no political or criminal background.
They said anyone whose beard does not meet the preferences of the local morality police chief or who lacks a personal relationship with him comes under pressure and risks dismissal.
A staff member at the Khost Telecommunications Directorate said officials had been told their beards must be at least a fist-length and that hair below the ears must not be trimmed.
Sources said the practice is under way in several departments, including Khost Municipality, the Telecommunications Directorate and the Department of Labour and Social Affairs.
The complaints come as Taliban morality police in Kandahar have reportedly detained about 15 young men over the past two days for having short or shaved beards, removing them from restaurants.
