"Un-Islamic" hairstyles get razed

"Un-Islamic" hairstyles get razed

MALAYSIA: Mohawk-style haircuts may be coming back in style, but officials in northeastern Malaysia have deemed them as "un- Islamic".

Officials in Kelantan state, which is ruled by the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, ordered a 17-year-old teenager to shave off his red-dyed Mohawk earlier this week, The Star newspaper reported on Saturday.

Officials were determined to rid Kelantan of "skinhead and punk culture", The Star reported, citing an unnamed spokesman for the state government.

The crackdown on coiffures is the latest in the party's moves to impose strict Islamic rules. The party, which governs two of Malaysia's 13 states, has ordered separate shop counters and beaches for men and women. It has also banned alcohol, gambling, pop group performances and female entertainment acts. -- AP