Taliban Condemn Afghans for Wearing Peaky Blinders Outfits
Four Afghan men have been cautioned by the Taliban for adopting fashion inspired by the British television series, Peaky Blinders. The men were summoned to the government’s Department of Vice and Virtue after images of them posing in flat caps and three-piece suits circulated online.
According to Taliban officials, the group’s attire was “in conflict with Afghan and Islamic values.” Saiful Islam Khyber, a spokesman for the Taliban’s provincial department of Vice and Virtue in Herat city, explained to the BBC, “Even jeans would have been acceptable, but the values in the Peaky Blinders series are against Afghan culture.”
The men, all in their early twenties and from the town of Jibrail in Herat province, were asked to report to the “morality police” on Sunday and were questioned the following day in Herat. Khyber stated on social media that they underwent a “rehabilitation programme.”
However, Khyber clarified to CBS News that the men were not formally arrested. “They were only summoned and advised and released,” he said. He further emphasized the importance of preserving Afghan cultural and religious identity, stating, “We have our own religious and cultural values, and especially for clothing we have specific traditional styles. The clothing they wore has no Afghan identity at all and does not match our culture.”
A video released by the ministry following the questioning showed the men expressing gratitude for the advice received and claiming ignorance of any wrongdoing. “I have innocently been sharing content that was against Sharia which had many viewers,” one of the men said in the recording. He added that he had been “summoned and advised” and would refrain from similar actions in the future.
Prior to being summoned, the friends had shared their admiration for the series’ fashion in an interview with the YouTube channel Herat-Mic. According to a translation by CBS News, one of them said, “At first we were hesitant, but once we went outside, people liked our style, stopped us in the streets, and wanted to take photos with us.”
This incident highlights the Taliban’s ongoing efforts to enforce their strict interpretation of Islamic law and cultural norms since seizing power in 2021, impacting various aspects of daily life in Afghanistan.
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
