In Wasiristan, in den Pakistanischen Stammesgebieten, die an Afghanistan grenzen, hat eine Gruppe lokaler Militanter alle Männer aufgefordert, Bärte wachsen zu lassen. Wer in den nächsten zwei Monaten den Bart nicht wachsen lasse, habe mit Konsequenzen zu rechnen.
Nun aber regt sich, wie Islamonline berichtet, Widerstand von seiten der islamischen Rechtsgelehrten gegen die Bartpflicht.
Der Versuch, die Bartracht durchzusetzen ist Teil des Taliban-Revivals. Und der Widerstand dagegen spricht für ein Erwachen der Gesellschaft auch in jenen Teilen Pakistans, in denen die Islamisten ihre Hochburgen haben:
Maulvi Mohammed Umar, a spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a conglomerate of various pro-Taliban groups operating in the troubled northern tribal belt, has ordered all men in the region to grow beard within two months.
He threatened hairdressers against shaving beards, telling them to restrict their business to haircut and trimming beards.
The militant spokesman threatened violators they would be punished.
This is not the first announcement of its kind.
Similar such announcements have been made during the last few years.
Suspected militants have bombed many hairdressers’ shops in South and North Waziristan and other tribal areas that didn’t heed their orders.
„To have or don’t have a beard is a personal matter,“ says Maulana Ghulam Rasool, who teaches at the International Binoria Islamic University Karachi.
„No individual or group or even an Islamic government can force a person to grow beard,“ he maintains.
„Whatever they are doing in the name of Islam is creating a mess.“
„If every individual or group continues to impose his own brand of Shari`ah, then there will be the law of the jungle in the country.“
Und ein interessantes Argument kommt ganz zum Schluss:
Hassan Khan, a resident of Bajur agency some 400 Kilometers off Wana who currently resides in the southern port city of Karachi, disagrees.
„No doubt, Muslims should wear beard but this is not the prerogative of any individual or group to force us,“ bearded Hassan told IOL.
He believes that such uncalled-for acts tarnish the image of Islam and send wrong message to non-Muslims.
„How would a Muslim in America or Europe defend beard if such kind of announcements are made. This will send a wrong message to non-Muslims that Islamic teachings are based on force.“