The Taliban regime’s morality police have detained at least 20 aid workers near the Iran-Afghanistan border because their beards were not long enough.
According to reports, the incident occurred on Saturday near the Islam Qala border crossing where workers belonging to organisations that cooperate with the United Nations (UN) were held.
Taliban authorities in Kabul enforce a strict interpretation of Islamic law, which mandates that men must grow beards longer than a fist.
An internal statement from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) detailed the arrests, stating that 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”.
Some of the detained workers were released on the same day while remaining workers gained freedom the following day.
The Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice Ministry (PVPV) did not issue a comment regarding the situation. However, Ziauddin Taib, the manager of morality police officers in Herat province, denied the reports.
“No one from NGOs has been arrested or imprisoned,” he said.
Taib did state that PVPV officials arrested five government employees from various departments because of their short beards.
Meanwhile, an aid worker provided details of the arrest and said that authorities transferred the detained individuals to Kohsan.
