Taliban say ‘no’ to Peaky Blinders chic on Herat streets

WEB DESK: Taliban authorities in western Afghanistan summoned four young men after images and videos of them dressed in vintage three-piece suits and flat caps, outfits inspired by the British TV drama Peaky Blinders, began circulating online. Officials from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat said the attire clashed with what they described as Afghan and Islamic norms, arguing that the show’s themes and aesthetics were incompatible with local culture.

The group, all in their early twenties and residents of Jibrail in Herat province, were directed to present themselves to the provincial “morality police” earlier this week. According to the officials, the men were questioned, given a “counselling session,” and released without formal arrest. Authorities said the issue was not the act of wearing Western clothing alone, jeans, they noted, would have been acceptable, but the deliberate imitation of characters from a foreign television series.

According to BBC, a spokesman stated that Afghans should uphold traditional dress and look to religious role models rather than foreign media figures. In a video shared by the ministry following their questioning, the men appeared to apologise, saying they had not realised their fashion choices breached any rules and pledging to avoid similar behaviour in the future. The circumstances under which the video was recorded remain unclear.

In a prior interview with local YouTube channel Herat-Mic, filmed before their summons, the friends said they simply enjoyed the show’s 1920s-style fashion and had even been encouraged by positive reactions from passersby who admired their look and asked for photos.