Turkmenistan launches nationwide crackdown on beards
DUSHANBE – The Central Asian country of Turkmenistan has launched a nationwide crackdown on men supporting beards.
The tightly controlled country, which borders the Caspian Sea and is largely covered by the Karakum Desert, reportedly began the latest crackdown in mid-May.
Police were observed rounding up men with facial hair and, in some cases, forcibly shaving their beards.
The crackdown was launched without announcement, comment, or explanation from the government.
Witnesses reported that some bearded men were also barred from boarding planes or trains.
Authorities also reportedly asked the men to sign a written pledge that they would not grow beards in the future.
In the northern city of Dashoguz, witnesses reported that large numbers of people were taken to police stations, where their beards were shaved off against their will.
In the Muslim-majority former Soviet republics of Central Asia, beards are seen as a sign of religious extremism.
Last year, Turkmenistan announced restrictions on women.
They were forbidden to wear “tight-fitting” clothes, dye their hair or undergo cosmetic procedures such as breast augmentation.
As a result, 20 flight attendants and 50 female employees of the state railroads were fired for enlarging their lips or breasts.
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