After the recent attempt from the local government to enforce the wearing of abayas on female students, which faced a major public outcry, things are seemingly taking new turns for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Since the local authorities never cease to amaze us with their ‘smart’ decisions day after day, you never know what notice would come up next.
The local authorities arrested barbers for shaping beards in a “stylish” manner because the practice is ‘un-Islamic’.
The news surfaced the internet after a went viral on social media this week.
In the video, Sameen who is the president of the shopkeepers union, can be seen guiding the local police to various barbershops for their arrest. He can be seen asking the hairdressers why they were shaping their customers’ beards in a ‘stylish’ manner when there is a ‘ban’ in place on the same.
Sameen explains that some days back the All Pakistani Hairdresser Union, Charsadda, had mutually decided in a meeting to ban the designing of beards in different styles including “French and other cuts”. Most of the people agreed to the new rule, but there were some who continued defying the rules.
He goes on to say that upon the union’s complaint, an ‘operation’ was conducted in different markets and many barbers were caught ‘red-handed’. During the raid, the local police made the arrests of four employees from different barbershops and imposed a fine of Rs5,000 on them each and warned them not to shape beards in that fashion.
Yaseen, the district general secretary of the union, further clarified that styling beard is akin to ridiculing sunnah. “We don’t want the barbers to promote this practice,” he added.
The police, however, denied any official action against hairdressers for styling beards in various designs
The District Police Officer of Charsadda, however, said that the administration has not imposed any restrictions of such kind on barbers. According to him, the police had only detained the barbers to resolve petty fight between two of them, adding that it had nothing to do with styling of beards.
Another police official named Jan Syed, who is the assistant commissioner of Tehsil Shabqadar, further explained that some members of the hairdressers’ union had come to them to ask for imposing a restriction on styling of beards. To whom he told that he doesn’t have the authority to do so; and that they don not really need an official ban if all of them have mutually decided that they will not style beards.
People on social media were quick to criticize the ban at large
In Mardan school girls are forced to wear Burqa; in Charsadda men are forced not to wear a fashionable beard. What to wear and what not to wear is a question in Pakhtunkhwa in 21st century.
— Amjad Saleem (@WadanSaleem) October 6, 2019
Our ‘law and order’ priorities. Impressive. Now Charsadda will be safe from the terrors of stylized beards. https://t.co/5Mk7ckBXWD
— Nadeem Farooq Paracha (@NadeemfParacha) October 4, 2019
Really medevial mindset
— Sachidanand (@Sachida72117650) October 4, 2019
That’s the real change. It is pathetic hearing such news. This didn’t happen in Saudi Arabia even and they did it there. Wow!
— Abdul Rehman (@Engr_AR) October 4, 2019
This is ridiculously stone age administration ,if it can be called administration.
— Le Critique (@JP_IH) October 4, 2019
SERIOUSLY THOUGH..
This new out of Charsadda has perplexed me.
Barbers getting into trouble for being hip.
How is an “unofficial ban” imposed by a shopkeeper union legitimate grounds for barbers to be fined and locked up by police?
Help me fill the blanks here.
https://t.co/rbli7TM08d— Zohare Haider (@JJBaybee) October 4, 2019
Some even referred to these actions as “Talibanization”
Naya Pakistan, Imran Khan, @imrankhan Taliban’s Goebbels, promoting TALIBANIZATION in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa…
Police detain barbers in Charsadda for ‘violating ban’ against styling of beards
shame @PTIofficial @fawadkhan00540 @ShireenMazari1 @SMQureshiPTI— @mwaqar09 (@waqarm2019) October 3, 2019
#Taliban at the gate (again)
One commitment #SelectedPM seems to be delivering on ! https://t.co/2sZY43PbIn— HNJ (@nabijans) October 4, 2019
You’re living in the 21st century, and still, you can’t help yourselves to not interfere in someone’s personal life. Even to this date, you still see people being called out for their own life decisions. You consider it something not to wear, it’s okay. I agree because everyone has the right to listen to their heart but answer me honestly, does that mean you should make someone’s life a living hell just because that’s what you think is right?
What do you think of the imposed ban on styling of beards? Let us know in the comments below.
