Taliban detaining men for Western hairstyles, UN reports

The Taliban’s morality police have frequently detained men and their barbers over disallowed hairstyles, according to a new report published Thursday by the United Nations mission in Afghanistan. The arbitrary detentions occurred since the Taliban imposed a new virtue and vice law half a year ago. Over half of the detentions concerned men’s appearance, the report said. The law bans hairstyles deemed Western and sets standards for beard length. Enforcers also arrested people who missed Ramadan prayers. The UN report focused on the implementation and effects of the law, which Afghanistan’s de facto government decreed in August 2024.

The terrorist organization’s virtue and vice ministry has enforced the law more rigorously than previous edicts, according to the report. Several thousand inspectors and 28 provincial implementation committees ensure compliance throughout the country. Inspectors sometimes jailed people for up to three days for violating the law. To be released, the detainees' family members typically must guarantee their future good behavior, which increases the risk that Taliban rules will become internalized in families, the report said.

Despite an increased number of male detentions, the law disproportionately affects women, the report noted. The law bans women from traveling without a male guardian, speaking when not necessary, or even looking at an unrelated man. About half of the humanitarian organizations in Afghanistan could no longer meet with women as of December 2024.

What are the projected long-term effects of the morality law? The law has had economic consequences. The recent decree caused many small businesses frequented by women such as hairdressers, wedding planners, and tailors to shut down. It also blocked women from working most jobs and left many people unwilling or unable to leave their houses and engage with the local economy, the report said.

Earlier morality laws have already hurt Afghanistan’s economy, according to the report. Many Afghan families sent their daughters abroad after 2022 bans on girls’ education, channeling money out of the country. The report cited a World Bank study that found the education bans will cost Afghanistan’s economy $1.4 billion per year.

Is the United States still sending money to the Taliban? The U.S. government sends Afghanistan’s de facto authorities $40 million a week, according to House representative Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. The congressman recently introduced legislation to stop the Taliban’s access to foreign aid. The bill passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday and headed to the chamber floor for debate. Burchett’s first attempt at similar legislation died in the Senate last year, The Washington Times reported.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on the arrest of a Massachusetts Ph.D. student accused of supporting the Hamas terrorist organization.