Kim Jong-un's "infidel" hairstyle is a fashion sin under the rule of the Taliban

Afghan men have limited options when visiting the hairdresser if they don't want to be accused of walking out looking like a trendy Westerner or a North Korean dictator.

No haircuts that make them look like "infidels". No trimmed eyebrows. And no shaved faces or beards shorter than the optimal length.

Any of these styles is considered a fashion sin, according to a new list of six-point rules for hairdressers issued by the Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtues and Prevention of Vices, Radio Free Europe (RSE) writes in English.

The issuance of the directives, which the ministry initially denied, was confirmed by a regional ministry official in the western province of Herat last week.

Azizul Rahman Mohajer said on January 23 that certain hairstyles were too similar to those worn by "infidels in the West or in North Korea."

Some among the younger generation in Afghanistan are trying to follow those styles, Mohajer said, prompting new rules for hairdressers to follow.

"If the style is in line with our principles, there's no problem," he said, stressing that barbers should turn away customers seeking trendy haircuts or beard trims.

The directives appear to have singled out hairstyles that could resemble that of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, whose head is shaved on the sides and back and topped with longer hair in the style of his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, the founder of the Communist Party. North Korea.

They also resembled orders issued under the previous Taliban government in power from 1996 to 2001, including "foreign haircuts" modeled after the side-shaven, long-top hairstyle popularized by American actor Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie Titanic. Anything resembling "The Beatles," the iconic mop top worn by John, Paul, George and Ringo during the British band's Beatlemania era in the 1960s, is also banned.

The latest rules state that beards should not be shorter than "one lock" and that men's eyebrows may not be trimmed. Barbers were also told not to play music in their shops, or display any images that might advertise undesirable styles.

It is not clear whether the new rules apply only in Herat or across the country.

Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have banned music and made it clear that they consider shaving or trimming the beard a violation of their strict interpretation of Islamic law and values.

Afghan barbers who spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Azadi expressed disbelief at the latest rules, with some questioning how the regulated styles could run afoul of Islamic law, adding that the order would harm their business.

"If you trim your beard ... or wear Western-style clothes, how does that make you an infidel?" asked one barber, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. "It doesn't change anything."

"The Qur'an says that cleanliness is part of the faith, but that is not the case here," a young man from Herat province, who also wished to remain anonymous, told Radio Azadi. "We understand that it is desirable to wear a (long) beard, but it is not a sin (not to have one)."

Controlling appearance

The new rules for barbers are the latest attempt by the Taliban to control the appearance of Afghan men and women.

Since regaining power, the Taliban have ordered male civil servants to grow beards and wear traditional dress or risk being fired. In some areas, men were forced to attend prayers.

In some parts of Afghanistan, the Taliban have banned Western-style clothing, including jeans and suits.

The extremist group also ordered teachers and high school students in some provinces to grow beards, wear a turban or Islamic cap and wear the "pirhan tumban", a traditional loose shirt and trousers common in rural Afghanistan.

Militants have also imposed strict gender segregation in schools, universities, hospitals, government offices and public transport.

Women have borne the brunt of the Taliban's attempts to control the appearance of Afghans. The hardline Islamist group has imposed strict dress and behavior rules that require women to be covered from head to toe and severely restrict their rights to free movement, work or education.

The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtues and Prevention of Vices has often issued orders that it said were aimed at helping Afghans stay in line with what the Taliban consider Islamic law.