Pakistani militants warn barbers not to shave beards

Pakistan: Barbers in a northwestern Pakistani tribal town have stopped shaving off beards after pro-Taliban militants warned them it was un-Islamic, residents and local officials said Monday.

The move in the troubled Bajaur district bordering Afghanistan comes amid concerns about the "Talibanisation" of Pakistan's tribal belt, where militants loyal to the ousted Islamist regime are still powerful. Residents told AFP that some 20 barber shops at the bazaar in Khar, the main town in Bajaur, had hung out signs saying: "We will not shave off beards."

They took the decision after they received hand written Pashto language leaflets saying that cutting off beards was against Sharia, or Islamic law, they said.

"You should desist from shaving off beards. If this warning is violated you will be responsible for the consequences," the letter read.

Local official Tariq Hassan said he had received information about warning letters sent to barbers in Bajaur but had no further details.

Pakistan's deeply conservative tribal zone has seen previous attacks on video and music shops blamed on militants emulating the ultra-orthodox Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

Beards were mandatory under the harsh Taliban regime as part of a strict morality code that also made women wear the all-encompassing burqa and outlawed music and most other forms of entertainment.

Khar, Tuesday, AFP