A file video grab taken from a propaganda video by al-Furqan Media
allegedly shows the leader of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi, aka Caliph Ibrahim, addressing Muslim worshippers at a
mosque in the militant-held northern Iraqi city of Mosul. ISIS has
handed out leaflets in their stronghold of Mosul in recent weeks
announcing that full beards become compulsory on June 1 and explaining
why shaving is punishable. PHOTO | AFP
BAGHDAD
Every time he looks in
a mirror, Laith Ahmed is worried. As of Monday, the young Iraqi's
hopelessly hairless chin could land him in an Islamic State group jail.
The
jihadist group has handed out leaflets in their stronghold of Mosul in
recent weeks announcing that full beards become compulsory on June 1 and
explaining why shaving is punishable.
"My
facial hair is just slow to come out for my age," said the 18-year-old,
who like others in this story did not give his real name for fear of
retribution.
"I'm scared because they
deal ruthlessly with anyone who opposes or ignores their instructions,"
he told AFP from Mosul, the de facto Iraqi capital of IS's
self-proclaimed caliphate.
"My work
in a bakery means I have to leave home every day and interact with Daesh
militants," he said, using an Arabic acronym for the jihadist group.
ACCESSORY TO SIN
Mosul
is Iraq's second city and used to have a population of around two
million before IS swept in a year ago and made it their main hub.
Unlike
some of the other cities IS conquered in Iraq, Mosul still holds a
large civilian population, making any air campaign difficult.
The
group made Mosul a laboratory for its state-building experiment, not
just a military bastion but a city where it regulates everything from
education to the opening hours of shops.
"What
hairdressers do today, shaving and trimming men's beards, is an
accessory to sin," reads the leaflet, which quotes a selection of
hadiths, or sayings of the Prophet Mohammed, supporting the claim that
he banned shaving.
"Thanks to our
brothers from the Islamic police, an order has been issued for the
shaving of beards to be banned and violators to be detained," it says.
Nadhim
Ali, a 30-year-old taxi driver from the eastern side of the city, said
he has never been able to grow a beard or even a moustache because of
the bad skin rashes he gets.
He said
he submitted medical reports on the matter to the religious police.
"They didn't care... One of them told me I'd better stay at home if I
shaved."
Moslawis are essentially trapped in their city.
Anyone
wishing to leave needs approval from IS and has to deposit documents
proving ownership, usually of property or a new car which will be seized
if the applicant does not return by an assigned deadline.
"So just for ensuring my family's livelihood, I can choose between getting sick and risking lashes or arrest," said Ali.
The
Taliban in Afghanistan had so-called "beard patrols" that could send
men to jail for three days to a week simply for having trimmed their
beard.
Mosul residents said a tougher
beard policy imposed by IS one year into the group's occupation of the
city was a ploy, not a sign of renewed religious zeal.
BLENDING IN
"We
all know what Daesh is trying to achieve with these unacceptable laws
on women wearing the veil and men growing beards," said a teacher, who
gave her name as Umm Mohammed.
"They
want to make everyone a human shield... With military operations (to
retake Mosul) looming, they want to blend in with the population," she
said.
Air strikes by Iraqi and US-led
coalition warplanes have targeted IS positions and hideouts in the
Mosul area since August 2014 but any effort to reclaim control of the
city has yet to begin in earnest.
A
former member of the security services who still lives in Mosul said IS
militants had been adopting a lower profile in recent months.
"For
example, IS members lately have been using more and more regular,
unmarked civilian cars. They've ditched the military vehicles and
flags," he said.
"This new rule on growing beards is in the same vein. They want to hide among civilians," he said
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