Men in the city of Mosul are going start being detained for an undecided amount of time if the "beard police" catches them shaved. People from the self-proclaimed caliphate's capital are now forced to grow facial hair or to not leave their houses at all, as the Islamic State is known not tollerate any reasons for not obeying their rules. With the high civilian population of the capital and the difficulty for air strikes targeting, many are speculating that the tough policy is not out of religious motive but for that of blending in.
"My facial hair is just slow to come out for my age. I'm scared because they deal ruthlessly with anyone who opposes or ignores their instructions," said an unnamed 18-year-old boy in a statement with the AFP.
"My work in a bakery means I have to leave home every day and interact with Daesh (ISIS) militants," he added, using the extremist's Arabic acronym. The militants have already distributed leaflets on the new order, including an explanation as to why shaving is not allowed.
"What hairdressers do today, shaving and trimming men's beards, is an accessory to sin. 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, according to Yahoo News.
Although a 30-year-old taxi driver submitted medical papers to the religious police explaining his incapability to grow a beard because of bad skin rashes, he was not excused.
"They didn't care... One of them told me I'd better stay at home if I shaved. So just for ensuring my family's livelihood, I can choose between getting sick and risking lashes or arrest," he said.
Mosul is not only the IS' military bastion, but the experimental grounds of their state-building, controlling everything even up to the time shops close and open.
"We all know what Daesh is trying to achieve with these unacceptable laws on women wearing the veil and men growing beards. They want to make everyone a human shield... With military operations (to retake Mosul) looming, they want to blend in with the population," said a teacher.
Apparently, the attempts on blending in with the general civil society is the extremist group's plan in maintaining their force and avoiding the possibilities of mass military operations that could kill more civilians.
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