Iraqis mock police crackdown on ‘Bermuda’ shorts
20 men had already been detained under the new law
Dubai: If you love wearing Bermuda shorts, never do it in Kirkuk.
The reason: Police in the Iraqi city are arresting anyone seen wearing shorts or ripped jeans.
Many took to social media to mock the move.
Colonel Afrasyaw Kamel, a spokesperson for Kirkuk Police, told Kurdistan 24: “The decision to ban shorts and ripped jeans came from the (police central) operations room in Kirkuk.”
Adding: “The decision was sent to all the police stations to arrest anyone who wears short jeans and jeans with fashionable slits or rips in them.”
Kirkuk, capital of Kirkuk Governorate, located 238km north of Baghdad, lies between the Iraqi capital and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s capital city of of Erbil.
With an anormously diverse population — Kurds and Arabs — Kirkuk is one of the ancient cities in Iraq and has been multilingual for centuries.
People were surprised by the police’s decision.
Because of its ethnic diversity, it has never suffered from such intolerance.
Now, the diversity of clothing styles is getting pushed back, starting with the detention of those wearing ripped jeans and jeans shorts.
Kurdistan 24, an online news website, reported that up to 20 men had already been detained under the new law, which was rolled out on the eve of Ramadan.
Ban on motorcycles
Same police directive also put a ban on using motorcycles during the holy month.
The style of shorter ripped jeans, called ‘Bermuda’ shorts, has also been banned.
Many residents of Kirkuk have taken to social media to mock the new rule.
One user wore his Bermuda Jeans under his kandoura, the traditional long dress, commenting ‘Kirkuk men after the ban.’
Other users posted a picture of the arrests on the streets.