Taliban denies arrest of Peaky Blinders cosplay group in Herat

The Afghan men were detained by the Taliban government for posing as characters from the acclaimed television show Peaky Blinders. Photo / @jemis_band_00

The Taliban has denied arresting four Afghan men who appeared in videos online dressed as Peaky Blinders characters as the Government continues to crack down on “immoral” behaviour.

Known as the “Jibrail Shelbys”, the men have gone locally viral for content in which they dress like the Birmingham gangsters, wearing three-piece suits and flat caps while they smoke cigarettes.

According to Metro, all four were detained and made to apologise on national television for “promoting foreign culture” for wearing costumes inspired by the popular British television drama.

The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice spokesperson Saif-ur-Islam Khyber told the BBC “even jeans would have been acceptable, but the values in the Peaky Blinders series are against Afghan culture”.

Khyber previously told CBS News the men had been “advised” not arrested, but posts on his social media alleged they had been detained.

“They were promoting foreign culture and imitating film actors in Herat, arreste, and a rehabilitation programme started for them.

“We, praise be to God, 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.”

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A friend of the men said Afghanistan had become a “prison”.

“Our friends wore these outfits for no political or other reason - just for fun - and the Taliban’s religious police detained them ... They admired the British series and wanted to share that admiration, but it turned into a nightmare.”

The quartet appeared on local YouTube channel Herat Mic before they were formally reprimanded.

One of the members, Ashour Akbari, said the men had the support of other locals and were undeterred by the backlash against their costumes.

“Until today, no one has published the content of classic dressing style in Afghanistan.

“We have had the same monotonous dressing style for the past many decades and wanted to show variety.”

Enforcement of Sharia law has been heightened throughout Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, going so far as to ban the internet in September.

The regime has particularly cracked down on women’s participation in public life, requiring buildings to be constructed to ensure female residents are not visible to their neighbours.