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Saudi Arabia Cuts Down On 'Un-Islamic' Hairstyles
Three players were banned from a match in Saudi Arabia because they were sporting mohawks, a goalkeeper was also forced to have a pre-match haircut by officials.
Footballers such as David Beckham are known for their influential haircuts, but Saudi officials have tried extra hard to limit this influence in their own country by passing a decree last week.
The decree bans all footballers in the country from having certain hairstyles, however, the decree primarily targets the mohawk because it goes against Islamic teachings, as it involves shaving parts of the head. The mohawk was originally banned in 2009 but enforcement has been intermittent.
It is thought that officials are worried about the influence haircuts have amongst children in schools.
Saudi Arabia practices Wahhabism, a strict form of Sunni Islam. However, footballers have got off lightly considering women are not allowed to travel, drive or work without the permission of a male ‘guardian’.
