"SOMETIMES, When I Go To Hospitals And Other Areas, An Afghan Muslim Engineer Or Doctor Uses A Necktie," Said Mohammad Hashim Shaheed Wror, Head Of The Invitation And Guidance Directorate, A Department That Seeks To Guide People Along Proper Islamic Lines.
He Said In A Speech Broadcast By Tolo TV That The Symbolism
Of The Tie "Is Obvious In Islam".
"What Is A Tie? It Is The Cross. It Is Ordered In Sharia
That You Should Break It And Eliminate It," He Said.
Taliban Authorities Have Not Imposed Any Dress Rules On Men
Since Taking Over In August 2021, But Women Must Cover Up With A Hijab When Out
In Public.
Afghan Taliban Officials Almost All Dress The Same -- Shalwar
Kameez, A Waistcoat, And A Turban.
Casual Western Clothes Became Less Common After The Taliban Takeover
But Some Professionals -- As Well As Newsreaders On TV Channels -- Still Don A
Collar And Tie.
The Tie Is Widely Believed To Have Emerged In The 17th
Century And Was Made A Fashion Staple By The French.
Previous Afghan Administrations Have Also Tried To Impose
Dress Regulations On The Population, Or On Officials At Least.
During The Decade-Long Soviet Occupation Starting In 1979,
Government Workers Were Discouraged From Wearing Traditional Attire And Told To
Wear Suits.
Former President Ashraf Ghani -- Who Fled The Country As The Taliban
Took Over In 2021 -- Favoured Western Suits When Abroad And Traditional Attire
At Home.
During Their Two-Decade Insurgency, The Taliban's Fighters
Wore Shalwar Kameez, But Since Taking Power Have Introduced Modern Military
Uniforms For The Armed Services.