Amu: Professors at Herat University report that the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has issued strict orders prohibiting them from shaving their beards and mandating daily attendance at congregational prayers. According to faculty members, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Taliban officials warned during a recent meeting that professors who fail to comply with the beard requirement or prayer attendance will face imprisonment. The directive, shared in a gathering of about 40 professors and department heads on Tuesday, October 29, stipulates that male staff members must keep beards at least “one fist length” — a traditional standard within Taliban ranks. Click here to read more (external link).