HERAT, Afghanistan — The Taliban’s Department of Vice and Virtue in Herat has ordered all public employees to attend religious training sessions, participate in group prayers, and maintain beards of a specific length, according to a directive distributed to provincial public offices.
The letters warned that failure to comply with these rules would lead to legal consequences.
The documents, obtained by Amu, outline three main directives for government workers: attendance at morning religious education sessions, mandatory participation in congregational prayers, and adherence to a beard length of at least “one fist” as prescribed by Sharia.
“If an employee lacks a beard, skips congregational prayers, or fails to attend educational sessions, they must be reported to the Ministry of Vice and Virtue,” said one longtime government employee, who requested anonymity.
“Taliban members don’t have issues with these requirements, but it’s difficult for us,” he added.
Naqibullah, another government worker in Herat, said that noncompliance could result in arrest or dismissal. “They say that if we don’t pray, if our beards are too short, or if we miss congregational prayers, we will be punished. We are exhausted by this life,” he said.
Despite repeated requests, the Taliban’s Vice and Virtue office in Herat did not respond to inquiries about the directive.
The Ministry of Vice and Virtue recently announced that its guidelines would be gradually enforced nationwide and has begun educational programs in several provinces, including Farah and Nimroz.
