Taliban authorities detained about 20 aid workers near the Iran-Afghanistan border because their beards were not long enough, three sources from aid organizations told AFP on Monday. The incident occurred on Saturday near the Islam Qala border crossing, where staff from organizations cooperating with the United Nations were working.
Details of the Detentions
According to internal statements shared by two aid workers on condition of anonymity due to security reasons, the morality police arrested national male staff members from UN implementing partner organizations at the Islam Qala Reception Center due to trimmed or shaved beards. One statement from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed that some aid workers were released the same day, while the rest were freed the following day.
The Taliban government's Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice Ministry (PVPV) did not comment on the incident when contacted by AFP. However, the manager of morality police officers in Herat province, Ziauddin Taib, denied the detentions, stating that no one from NGOs had been arrested or imprisoned. He said PVPV officials had arrested five government employees from various departments over their short beards.
Conflicting Accounts and Context
A third aid worker told AFP that the morality 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 on Saturday were transferred to Kohsan district, the aid worker said on condition of anonymity because of safety concerns.
The Taliban authorities in Kabul rule according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law and have mandated that men must grow beards longer than a fist. The majority of people in Afghanistan are practicing Muslims, but before the Taliban returned to power in 2021, residents of major cities could choose their own appearance. In areas where Taliban fighters were battling US-backed forces, men would grow beards either out of fear or by choice.
