KABUL(National Times)- The Taliban government’s morality police detained about 20 aid workers near the Iran-Afghanistan border because their beards were not long enough, three sources from aid organisations said on Monday.
The Taliban authorities in Kabul rule according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law and have said men must grow beards longer than a fist.
The staff detained were working on Saturday near the Islam Qala border crossing for organisations that cooperate with the United Nations, according to internal statements shared by two aid workers on condition of anonymity.
The morality police arrested “national male staff members from UN implementing partner organisations at the Islam Qala Reception Centre due to trimmed or shaved beards”, said one of the internal statements from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Some of the aid workers were released the same day, while the rest were freed the following day, it said.
The Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice Ministry (PVPV) did not comment on the incident. However, the manager of morality police officers in Herat province denied the detentions. “No one from NGOs has been arrested or imprisoned,” Ziauddin Taib said.
He said PVPV officials had, however, arrested five government employees from various departments over their short beards.
A third aid worker said police entered a facility “at the Islam Qala border, arrested 20 people who were employees of various service-providing agencies at the border”. Those detained were transferred to Kohsan, he said.
