Cairo court enforces beard ban

An Egyptian court has suspended a ruling that allowed the return to work of policemen with beards which are usually reserved for pious Muslims. A report on the News24 site notes that the decision came after a lawyer appealed against a ruling to allow them to return to work and demanded the Interior Ministry apply regulations that prevent bearded officers from serving. ‘The beard in Arab countries is considered religious, it isn't just something normal,’ lawyer Mohammed Hamed Salem reportedly told AFP. The report notes that the case dates back to 2012 when bearded police demonstrated under Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, demanding the officers be allowed to serve.