Taliban Government ban shaving or trimming of beards in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have banned haircuts in the southern region of Afghanistan from shaving or shaving.

The order was issued Monday by the Vices and Virtues Department of the Taliban in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand.

During their previous rule, the Taliban pursued a strict interpretation of Islam. The conservative group insisted that men grow beards. Since their ouster following the US-led invasion in 2001, many men have walked around with their beards cut off or shaved.

“If a person breaks the law [they] will be punished and no one has the right to complain,” said the order issued to the barber.

It was not immediately clear what the offenders could face if they broke the law.

“Ever since I heard [about the beard ban], my heart has been broken,” Bilal Ahmad, a resident of Lashkar Gah, told the AP. “It’s a city and everyone has a way of life, so they must be left alone to do whatever they want.”

Since the Taliban invaded Kabul on August 15 and taken control of the country, the world has been watching to see if the group regains its strong rule in the 1990s.

On Saturday, Taliban militants killed the kidnapping suspects and then hung their bodies in public squares in the western city of Herat.

Barber owner Jalaluddin, who gave only one name, said he hoped the Taliban would reconsider their claims.

“I urge our Taliban brethren to give people the freedom to live as they please, whether they want to cut their beards or their hair,” he said.

“Now we have a few customers who come to us, they are scared, they don’t want to cut their hair or beard, so I ask them to let people go free, so that we can have our own business and people can come to us freely.”

Another barber shop owner, Sher Afzal, said the order hurt revenue.

“If someone comes in for a haircut, they will come back to us after 40-45 days, so it affects our business like any other business.”

sambazanews@gmail.com