Taliban in Helmand sets punishment for shaving beards

Taliban authorities in Helmand province have warned that individuals who shave their beards will face what they describe as “sharia-based punishment.”

The new warning is part of the group’s enforcement of its Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

The Taliban’s media office in Helmand said the provincial committee responsible for implementing the law held a meeting to discuss Clause 18 of Article 22, which addresses the “prohibition and reprehensibility of shaving the beard”.

Article 22 of the law states that the group’s morality police are responsible for preventing specified acts considered to be vices. Clause 18 refers to shaving the beard or trimming it shorter than the prescribed length.

According to the statement, the meeting concluded that violators would be identified and subjected to disciplinary punishment under the group’s interpretation of Islamic law.

The Taliban have previously issued warnings to barbers in several provinces, instructing them not to shave or trim customers’ beards.