Men Over Women (Afghan 63)

 This is the latest in a series of special reports from an Afghan friend abut life under the Taliban.

Several days ago, the staff of the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice asked my colleagues and me to visit their office so we went there. 

Before the fall of the government, this office belonged to the Department of Women's Affairs. This department had more than 30 employees and all of them were women. When you entered, you could smell the cologne in its corridors. The orderliness and cleanliness of the office were admired by every visitor. Clients were treated with tenderness and kindness. 

But now, the smell of cologne has been replaced by the stinky smell of toilets that are never cleaned, and the smell of sweat from men who bathe once a month. Clean chairs and tables have been replaced by dirty mattresses and pillows. Instead of women and girls with red lipstick and kohl eyes, sit a bunch of hairy and turbaned men. Kindness and tenderness have given way to threats and violence.

When we entered the office, about five clergymen were wearing black turbans, sitting on mattresses instead of chairs. They believe using chairs is a Western tradition so they try to use mattresses. The office was more like a living room. They ordered us to sit on a dusty carpet, seemingly, it had not been swept for a month. 

People from all classes of society were there for the session. From employees of the government to workers, barbers, and other citizens. We sat down. They started talking. One of them brought up the purpose for our visit – to hear their religious justifications for growing a beard and wearing a turban. 

One mullah said a few hadiths and verses about the benefits of having a long beard. "Whoever shaves his beard, we will incarcerate him and whip him,” another mullah said. “Not only government employees who do not grow a beard deserve to be punished but also every citizen who lives in this country." 

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