The Taliban government in Afghanistan has instructed all government employees to wear a beard and adhere to a dress code or risk being fired.
Representatives from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice were patrolling the entrances to government offices on Monday March 28, to check that employees were in compliance with the new rules.
According to the sources, “Employees were being instructed not to shave their beards and to wear local clothing consisting of a long, loose top and trousers, and a hat or turban.
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“They were also told to ensure they prayed at the correct times.”
Workers were told they would from now on be unable to enter offices and would eventually be fired if they did not meet the dress codes.
The Taliban had earlier banned women from taking flights without a male chaperone and failed to open girls’ schools as promised.
The Taliban administration has drawn criticism at home and from Western governments for forcing its hardline interpretation of Islamic law onto all Afghans.
On Sunday it ordered parks to be segregated by sex, with women allowed to enter three days a week, and men the other four days, including the weekend, meaning even married couples and families cannot visit together.
Following its assumption of power last August, the Taliban had said it would not force its rules on anyone as it relates to lifestyle choices.
But with recent hardline instructions, the Islamic government has contradicted the assurances it made to the people.
The government has drawn criticisms from Western governments for forcing its rules on all Afghans.
