President bans beards in army

Dushanbe - Tajikistan's secular President has proclaimed a ban on beards in the former Soviet republic's army, a move that may…

Dushanbe - Tajikistan's secular President has proclaimed a ban on beards in the former Soviet republic's army, a move that may cause displeasure among Islamist former guerrillas being integrated into the army after a civil war. Most Tajik Islamist fighters sport full beards as a mark of their faith. Under a peace deal they are in the process of being merged into the regular army.