It is said that never to trust a person who prays in public and to this I may add - Never trust a person who wears religion on his sleeve or on his face. Post 9/11 and the resulting religious fervor and the Taliban onslaught has increased the bearded ones in the land of pure manifold. I wonder how much all of that hirsute make over by the male gender has affected the revenues of the manufacturers of the Shaving products.  But that is a separate issue but worth thinking about for those in the related industries. 

On a personal level, I recently came across a gentleman who was seemingly very cultured and educated. I tried not to stereotype him even with a full flowing beard. Yet, despite all his pious appearance he could not help himself being 'tempted' by me. I think the very act of me indulging in a cultured/political conversation with him somehow lead him to believe that I may be open to his flirtation. Men with religious, dogmatic political/social views of the Jamaati type tend to believe that women who are intelligent and can argue with a man by looking him in the eye are somehow whores or at best 'lose character.' What disgusted me was the sheer hypocrisy of it all. He was trying to conceal it with the garb of religion. I do not mind if men try to flirt with me but this coming from a man who believes that women should be limited to the confines of her house and should literally take the word of her husband as the very words of the Caliph himself just pissed me off. I gave it to him and he was simply stunned if not ashamed.