Taliban arrest four men for dressing up as Peaky Blinders characters

The Taliban have arrested at least four men dressed up as characters of the Netflix crime drama series Peaky Blinders in Afghanistan, describing the act as a violation of Islamic values. The four Afghan youth, all in their early 20s, were arrested by the Taliban police in the western Herat province and lodged in a rehabilitation centre.

The videos and photos of youth dressed as "Shelby Family" portrayed in the British series went viral across social media platforms in Afghanistan, as reported by The Independent. The videos feature four Afghan men in tailored suits, waistcoats, flat caps and overcoats, their expressions composed and unsmiling, as they move through the town on foot and in cars.

They were also seen smoking cigar-like cigarettes, mimicking the lead character of the series, played by Cillian Murphy. According to the Taliban, the youths were promoting foreign culture and were sent rehabilitation centre to instil Islamic values and correct their behaviour.

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“A programme for their correction has begun. We, praise be to God, are Muslims and Afghans; we have our own religion, culture and values,” said Saif Khyber, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s ministry for the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice.

“We have saved this country from the spread of corrupt cultures through great sacrifices, and now we will defend it as well,” he said, adding that the four men’s behaviour was not in line with “Islamic values and Afghan culture”.

The Taliban regime has put strict dress codes and rules for proper public conduct against both men and women. The men are required to compulsorily maintain a long beard and follow a traditional dress code all the time. The dress entails Afghan salwar kameez, with a hat or turban and are instructed to avoid western dressing of T-shirts and pants.

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Peaky Blinders is a British period crime drama rooted in Birmingham, England, and set in the aftermath of the First World War. The series centres on the rise of the fictional Peaky Blinders gang as they navigate crime, power and politics in a turbulent era.

Cillian Murphy leads the cast as gang chief Tommy Shelby, alongside Helen McCrory as the formidable Polly Grey, Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby and Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby.