Mr. Jan had a shamefully modest amount of facial hair for a man of 34. His excuse, like that offered by many of the beard-deficient, was recent travel out of the country. Afghanistan's Islamic neighbors Iran and Pakistan have a more relaxed attitude about whiskers. To many there, a clean shave is a mark of prosperity and sophistication. ''I didn't want people to think I was a refugee,'' Mr. Jan said. As others spoke up apologetically, it was impossible to know how much of what they said was cautious performance and how much genuine penitence.
Blankets are lined up neatly against the walls.
Some men are permitted two of these covers, so one can be rolled into a pillow or used as a thin mattress. A single bulb provides weak light. As the proud commandant and his heavily armed entourage finished giving the tour, there was sudden activity outside. Mullah Gul Mohammed, a military chief of the virtue and vice patrols, had arrived with 15 new prisoners and decided to pause for tea. He acted sternly at first, concerned that photos might have been taken.