Herat: Quiffs, Mohawks, and Crew Cuts are Nader Shah’s hairstyles are accustomed to styles for young people who are aware of images in the third largest Herat city in Afghanistan.
But because the Taliban swept power in mid-August, Afghanistan had a little cash for backup and fears punished for short or fashionable sports cuts.
“Previously, people came and asked for a different hairstyle, but not like that again,” said Shah 24 years in the barber shop, with a mirror covering each wall.
“Now they are heartbroken.” During the first task of the Taliban in power from 1996 to 2001, hard lines prohibit flamboyant hairstyles and insist on men growing beards.
After they were overthrown, it became a clean-shaven often considered a sign of modernity, including in the western city of Herat which was relatively cosmopolitan.
“Now people come here and they just ask for a simple piece,” Shah said.
“They also don’t shave their beard, so it’s the problem now.” Barber, who has been in business for 15 years after starting as a young internship, said the decline has caused his daily income to fall from $ 15 to between $ 5 and $ 7.
In the next environment, Mohammad Yousefi, 32, said he had to dramatically reduce the price – Starting from $ 6 cut to only $ 1 – to keep the shop running.
“Because the Taliban situation, customers have fewer income and they pay us less,” he said.
Yousefi said that after the Islamic government took control of the country, “suddenly people like to make themselves look like a Taliban”.
“It’s not like a fashionable Taliban, but people don’t shave their beard because the Taliban will stop and ask about it,” he said.
“They say it’s not in sharia law, and that men must have a beard and long hair.” In the barber shop Ali Reza 36 years old, highlight pink shines on customers and shuffish shakes with cans of hairspray, gel, mouses, cologne and face masks.
Barber deftly cuts his scissors above the customer’s beard because the client who is waiting for discussing Afghan politics.
Two apprenticeship – 11-year-old Reza nephew, Sobhan and Mohsan, 14 – watched every movement, tidy up brushes, combs, and electrical scissors, and helped open a razor.
Reza completed the experience of developing, moving his fingers on the head of the customer, massaging the temples and his eyebrows, before they collapsed the client’s ears that were not suspicious for a few seconds.
“In the past, young people will come every one or two weeks to cut their hair or beard, and they are happy,” Reza told AFP, adding many of his clients had escaped.
“Young people who are still here are not interested in cutting their hair or beard again because the economy is really poor,” he said.
Since the Taliban takeover, Afghans said employment had dried up.
“Before my income was very good, and now no,” he said.