“Despite the liberation of the city of Mosul, extremist elements are still present in dormant cells. The security situation is not well-established yet, and we still receive anonymous threats either via text messages or written letters left on our doors over the way we dress and how we cut our hair. We sometimes find threats in red writing on the walls of our shops,” Mohammed said.
In addition to the volatile security situation, Mohammed said the dire economic situation has prevented many men from visiting barbershops. Instead, they cut their hair at home.
However, Mohammed refuses to close down his shop. He believes if people succumb to threats, the situation will remain the same. “Sooner or later, life will go back to normal. We just have to hang in there for a while,” he said.
Ahmad Rasem is also a barber, but he visits his clients at their homes to offer his services for a pittance. He is noticing a reversal of men's concern about their appearance.
“Many clients prefer to fully shave their beard and cut their hair short so they do not raise any suspicions because of their looks, as people [otherwise] might think they are affiliated with IS,” Rasem told Al-Monitor.
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