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Taliban Says HeratPeaky Blinders’ Fans Were Summoned and Released

Officials now claim the group was summoned then released, exposing opaque rules on cultural expression.

Overview

  • Four men in their early 20s from Herat’s Jebrael township — Asghar Husinai, Jalil Yaqoobi, Ashore Akbari and Daud Rasa — drew viral attention for wearing Peaky Blinders–style suits, coats and flat caps.
  • Taliban morality authorities accused the group of promoting foreign culture and behavior deemed contrary to Islamic values, after images and videos circulated widely on Afghan social media.
  • The ministry first described the case as arrests with a rehabilitation or correction program, but spokesman Saif-ur-Islam Khyber later said the men were only summoned, advised and released.
  • The ministry shared audio of one man expressing regret and pledging to stop posting content he described as against Sharia, reflecting the pressure applied in such cases.
  • The episode fits a broader post-2021 pattern of cultural enforcement under Taliban rule, as critics and observers note expanding restrictions on dress, media and public behavior.