Taliban detains 4 Afghan men for wearing Peaky Blinders-style outfits

Four young men in Afghanistan were detained by the Taliban and put into a rehabilitation programme for walking around in public dressed as characters from the popular British drama 'Peaky Blinders'.

According to a report by CBS News, officials from the Taliban government's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice said the men who had become popular in their local Jibrail township, in the southern province of Herat, for strolling through the streets in trench coats and flat caps, were retained for "promoting foreign culture".

Saif-ur-Islam Khyber, a spokesperson for the ministry, said in a social media post that the men were taken into custody and enrolled in a "rehabilitation program" for imitating Western film characters. "We are Muslims and Afghans; we have our own religion, culture and values. Through numerous sacrifices, we have protected this country from the spread of harmful cultures, and now we are also defending it," he said.

'Advised and released'

However, Khyber later told CBS News that the four were not formally arrested but were "summoned and advised and released". "We have our own religious and cultural values, and especially for clothing we have specific traditional styles," Khyber told the outlet. "The clothing they wore has no Afghan identity at all and does not match our culture. Secondly, their actions were an imitation of actors from a British movie. Our society is Muslim; if we are to follow or imitate someone, we should follow our righteous religious predecessors in good and lawful matters," he added.

The men, identified as Asghar Husinai, Jalil Yaqoobi, Ashore Akbari and Daud Rasa, are all in their early 20s. Videos and photos of them walking together in coordinated outfits had circulated widely on Afghan social media before the detention.

In the group interview posted online at the end of November by local YouTube channel Hirat Mic, they had recently said their style had drawn curiosity and admiration from many residents. Jalil Yaqoobi said people often stopped them on the streets to take photographs. "There were some negative comments, but we focused on the appreciation," he said.

'Peaky Blinders' outfit deemed contrary to Islamic values

Taliban authorities, however, deemed the outfits "contrary to Islamic values and Afghan culture". A reportedly video released by the ministry included an audio clip purportedly featuring one of the men expressing regret for wearing Western clothing and for sharing such content online, saying he had stopped what he described as "sinful activities" after being advised.

"I'm on Instagram and have five million followers. Without realizing it, I used to publish and spread things that were against Sharia," says the voice in the audio recording. "I was summoned and advised, and from today onward I will no longer engage in such sinful activities — and I have stopped," it added.