The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan detained four young men in Herat and placed them in a rehabilitation programme after they were seen wearing outfits inspired by the hit British television series "Peaky Blinders."
The men were accused of promoting foreign culture by dressing in trench coats, flat caps and suits resembling the style seen on the show, according to CBS News. Asghar Husinai, Jalil Yaqoobi, Ashore Akbari and Daud Rasa, all in their early 20s, were often seen strolling through the streets of Jibrail township.
Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice detained them after videos and photos of them wearing such outfits circulated online. Some users called them the "Jebrael Shelbys."
Saif-ur-Islam Khyber, the ministry spokesperson, said the men were arrested for imitating film actors and introducing styles that went against Afghan values. Taliban see anything Western, modern, or inspired by media as inappropriate or un-Islamic.
"We have our own religious and cultural values, and especially for clothing, we have specific traditional styles," Khyber said.
"Praise be to Allah, 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.
While there were reports that the four young men had been put into a rehabilitation program, Khyber told CBS News that they were called in by Taliban officials, given a warning about their behaviour, and then released.
He explained that Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, follows strict religious and cultural values, especially when it comes to clothing.
"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.
One of the detainees said, "I was summoned and advised, and from today onward I will no longer engage in such sinful activities — and I have stopped."
In an earlier interview posted on the local YouTube channel, the four young men said they were inspired by the fashion of the show and enjoyed experimenting with a look that felt stylish and different.
"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," said one man.
During the interview, one of the friends also mentioned that their interest in clothing wasn't limited to Western styles. They said they were planning to later showcase traditional clothing from Afghanistan's ethnic groups.
