The men, all in their early 20s and identified as Asghar Husinai, Jalil Yaqoobi, Ashore Akbari and Daud Rasa, became local sensations in the Jibrail township of Herat after photos and videos of them sporting flat caps, trench coats and vintage suits went viral on social media
Four young men in Herat, Afghanistan, have been detained by the Taliban after they were spotted walking around in outfits inspired by the British TV series Peaky Blinders—a move the Taliban says amounts to “promoting foreign culture.”
The men, all in their early 20s and identified as Asghar Husinai, Jalil Yaqoobi, Ashore Akbari and Daud Rasa, became local sensations in the Jibrail township of Herat after photos and videos of them sporting flat caps, trench coats and vintage suits went viral on social media, said Saif-ur-Islam Khyber, a spokesman for the Taliban.
“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,” Khyber said in a social media post.
He added that the clothing “has no Afghan identity at all and does not match our culture,” and criticised their imitation of foreign film actors.
According to the Taliban, the four were initially “arrested” and placed in a so-called “rehabilitation programme.” But in a statement to CBS News, the Taliban later clarified that the men were only “summoned, advised and released.”
In Afghanistan, even fashion has consequences. This week, four young men from Herat were arrested by the Taliban for the unforgivable crime of dressing like Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders. No weapons, no gang warfare. Only flat caps and long coats proving far too threatening… pic.twitter.com/fBT4PK9oOu
— BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) December 10, 2025
One of the men, in an audio clip released by the Taliban, admitted regret, saying: “Without realising it, I used to publish and spread things that were against Sharia. … From today onward I will no longer engage in such sinful activities.”
Prior to their detention, the four told CBS News they were inspired by the show’s vintage style and had enjoyed the positive attention. As one of them put it: “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.”
But under the hard-line dress codes enforced by the Taliban since 2021, their fashion choice was deemed unacceptable.
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