“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15

Afghan women are not the only victims of the oppressive rule of the Taliban-led government. Some Afghan men that have worked with American and western forces were tagged as traitors and collaborators with the enemies by Taleban’s government. They have to flee the country as their lives are in danger; some men have been killed and some are living in hiding. Some Afghan families lost breadwinners of the family as male members of the family may have been killed or flee the country and women are prohibited from working. Many young men and schoolboys have to take up the responsibility of being the breadwinners of the family by dropping out of school to take employment or do scavenging jobs at rubbish dump sites.

According to the Taliban's strict interpretation of the Quran, it is not Islamic for any man not to grow a beard. Afghanistan's Taliban has instructed all government employees to wear a beard and adhere to a dress code or risk being fired, this is one of the latest of several new restrictions imposed by the hard-line Islamist administration in less than a year since they seized the power. This influenced this painting – Afghan’s men with the Beard of Thorns.”