An Islamic preacher in Turkey has drawn a backlash after suggesting that clean-shaven men sometimes “cannot be distinguished from women” and can cause “indecent thoughts.”

Speaking on the private religious station Fatih Medreseleri TV on December 16, preacher Murat Bayaral blasted beardless men and said there is no need to receive permission from wives for a man to shave his beards, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

“Men should grow beards. One of the two body parts that separate men from women is the beard,” Bayaral is quoted as saying.

“If you see a man with long hair from afar you may think he is a woman if he does not have a beard. Because nowadays women and men dress similarly. God forbid! You could be possessed by indecent thoughts,” he added.