New York Times link
From the article:
It's like they just wake up in the morning and think, "I wonder what kind of ludicrous thing I can use to try to control people with today?" Seriously - there is now an Islamically permissable application of hair gel. I'll say this, though: If they come out with a Ministry of Islamic Walks, I will laugh myself into a coma.The photos, disseminated on Iran’s semiofficial news sites, look ordinary enough: young men with short haircuts, some with 1950s-style quiffs and a touch of gel on top.
But these haircuts are not just a summer fashion. They are being promoted by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance as Islamically permissible models, part of an effort “to halt the spread of unconventional styles and promote Islamic culture.” More styles are set to be unveiled Sunday as part of the ministry’s Veil and Chastity Day festival.
The haircut catalog is part of the Iranian government’s long-running battle against Western cultural influence. Every summer, the country’s morality police renew their crackdown on “un-Islamic” dress and styles, including loose veils on women and long hair or ponytails on men.