Bajaur barbers struggle to make ends meet
By Mushtaq Yusufzai
KHAR, Bajaur Agency: Hand-written pamphlets asking barbers in Bajaur Agency not to shave beards of people in the area have put them between the devil and the deep blue sea.
They have, willingly or unwillingly, decided to comply with the order in the pamphlet, which has created a plethora of problems for them to make both ends meet. Left with no other option, the helpless barbers held an emergency meeting and felt the time has come to choose the “lesser evil.” They immediately agreed not to shave beards and even decided to impose Rs5,000 fine on those defying this decision.
Almost in every shop, the barbers have displayed banners inscribed with a clear message for their customers not to force them to shave beards, as it has been declared un-Islamic in the pamphlet. They do not hide their position and publicly complain that they have witnessed a decline in their business by 70 per cent after the issuance of the pamphlet.
In the first few days after pamphlets were distributed, barbers found it difficult to refuse or convince their regular customers. One of such customers even broke down glasses of the shop of a hairdresser when the latter unwillingly refused to shave his beard. The barber has been taken into custody by the political administration and is under interrogation, as the officials are pursuing barbers not to pay any attention to the pamphlets and carry out their job without any fear.
On the other hand, barbers have been feeling insecure saying that they were more prone to any threat as they used to open their shops from early morning and to late night.
“The government wants us to shave and cut beards of people while unknown people have warned us of destroying our shops with bombs. Similarly, owners of our shops fear damage to their properties and asking people of fraternity to vacate shops,” remarked a harassed barber, Niamat Khan.
In the past, the barbers in Bajaur Agency in were conveyed the same message through two similar leaflets. The barbers however had not taken both of the warnings seriously and continued their job. But the latest warning, issued on February 10, has been almost an alarm for barbers and may force them to quit their years-old profession. “The hair-cutting centres where anti-Islam activities like shaving and cutting beards are carried out are hereby given the final warning to avoid such practices, otherwise they themselves would be responsible for any harm incurred on them,” said the latest pamphlet.
“We did not pay proper attention to the first letter which was issued about six months ago and then the second one two months later,” said Ghulam Khan, president of the recently formed Hajjam Association.
Almost 200 barbers in the tribal agency, who never heard the name of association in the past, realised to get united on a platform. After receiving the last letter, the association members went to the local tehsildar who referred them to the assistant political agent and finally to the political agent.
The authorities assured the barbers of their support and asked them to carry out their business and ignore pamphlets. But aware of this “hidden force” active in this isolated tribal region for the past few years, the barbers announced to obey order of the pamphlet.
The seemingly straightforward Ghulam Khan said that when the government failed to protect its officials and tribal elders, how it would provide protection to the poor barbers?
Political Agent Shakil Qadir, however, termed it as business rivalry. “A religious group suspected of distributing this pamphlet has more certain things to do,” he remarked.
Link: http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=43803
Here we go.