[Washington Post] Sudarsan Raghavan - Amid the sectarian strife plaguing Baghdad, a wave of religious fundamentalism is curbing personal freedoms and reshaping the daily lives of Iraqis who have long enjoyed one of the most liberal lifestyles in the Arab world. Consider the barbers of Baghdad. Sunni Muslim insurgents and Shiite Muslim extremists have imposed their own sets of rules for the cutting of hair. In recent months, barbers have been killed, threatened, or forced to close their shops after being accused of giving haircuts that were considered un-Islamic or too Western.
2006-10-06 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive