Ponytail gets the chop in Iran

Government set to issue list of approved 'Islamic' hairstyles for men

Government set to issue list of approved 'Islamic' hairstyles for men

Iran is set to order a crackdown on men sporting 'un-Islamic' haircuts.

Long hair and ponytails are definitely out this summer, though a dab of gel is acceptable, according to the country's morality police.

And a beard is no longer required as a symbol of political and religious correctness.

A photographic catalogue of permissible 'Islamic' hairstyles is to be published and promoted later this month atu00a0 the Modesty and Veil Festival.

Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has given the project its vital seal of approval.

"The proposed styles are inspired by Iranians' complexion, culture, religion and Islamic law," said Jaleh Khodayar, the festival's female organiser.

A tantalising foretaste of what is folically acceptable was provided by Iranian news agencies yesterday, which carried pictures of mostly clean-shaven male models sporting short hair.

Don't ape the West
Hardliners have frequently raged against youths with 'decadent Western cuts'.

But the red lines governing male grooming have never been clearly identified - until now.

Those aping the elaborate styles of some European football stars have been hauled off to police stations where their beloved locks have been unceremoniously and inexpertly shorn.

First-time offenders braving a close shave with the law get off with an unflattering short-back-and-sides.
But serial hair delinquents risk stiff fines, while barber shops catering to Western fashions have been shut.

Dress code

The dress code crackdown is always beefed up at the beginning of summer whenu00a0 people wear cooler clothing. Authorities scornfully brand women who flout the rules by thrusting back their obligatory headscarves, wearing a dash of make-up or flashing a bit of ankle as 'mannequins'. u00a0 This summer, for the first time, police were equipped with cameras to film 'immodestly-attired' women, with the footage to be used as irrefutable evidence in court.