Peaky Blinders fans detained by the Taliban for dressing up as the Shelby family

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In an unusual turn of events, the Taliban has arrested four men for dressing like the characters from the TV show Peaky Blinders. They are now being required to attend a rehabilitation program.

The BBC drama Peaky Blinders, created by Steven Knight and focusing on a Birmingham gang, is experiencing a surge in popularity. Cillian Murphy will return as Thomas Shelby in the upcoming film, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.

Additionally, a new series is being created that continues the story in the 1950s. It will follow the children of the Shelby family as they build their lives in Birmingham after World War II.

While the show remains incredibly popular around the globe, its style has caused problems in Afghanistan. Fans trying to copy the look of the characters have gotten into trouble with the Taliban.

Taliban detain Peaky Blinders cosplayers 

Authorities in Afghanistan have arrested four young men in Herat for wearing clothing similar to the style seen in the TV show Peaky Blinders. The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice announced the men are now in a “rehabilitation program.”

Local officials criticized the group – known for becoming popular by dressing like the characters from the show Peaky Blinders – for supposedly encouraging a culture that wasn’t local.

According to government spokesperson Saif-ur-Islam Khyber, individuals in Herat were arrested for promoting foreign culture and copying film actors. They will now participate in a rehabilitation program.

We are proud Muslims and Afghans with our own unique beliefs, traditions, and principles. We’ve worked hard and made many sacrifices to safeguard our country from outside influences that could be damaging, and we continue to defend it today.

Khyber told CBS that the Peaky Blinders fans – Asghar Husinai, Jalil Yaqoobi, Ashore Akbari, and Daud Rasa – weren’t actually arrested. They were briefly brought in for questioning and then released after receiving a warning.

Okay, so this is crazy. I just read that the Taliban actually arrested four guys in Afghanistan because they were dressing like the characters from Peaky Blinders! Apparently, they tried to explain it was just a style thing, they liked the show, but the Taliban accused them of pushing a Western culture. Seriously? They said it doesn’t fit with their values or something. It’s wild to think you could get in trouble for just how you dress, especially over a TV show. It feels like a total overreaction, but that’s the situation over there.

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) December 9, 2025

They’re going to start a program to help change their behavior. Khyber also explained that they have strong religious and cultural beliefs, particularly when it comes to traditional clothing styles.

The clothes they were wearing didn’t reflect Afghan culture or identity. Plus, their behavior seemed like they were copying characters from a British film.

We are a Muslim society, and when seeking examples to follow, we should look to the virtuous people who came before us and lived according to Islamic principles.

This news comes after the group was featured on the Afghan YouTube channel Herat-Mic, where they shared their appreciation for the show’s format and mentioned receiving positive feedback from people in their community.

According to a Taliban spokesperson in an online video (reported by ABC News), Muslims should uphold Islamic principles, avoid blindly imitating others, and base their values on both Islamic teachings and Afghan traditions.

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A post shared by Akbari jan (@john_shelby0093)

According to Mujib Abid, a researcher at the University of Melbourne’s Initiative for Peacebuilding, the recent trend of Afghans dressing as characters from Peaky Blinders is one way they are showing opposition to the Taliban’s strict rule since the group took control of the capital in 2021.

A friend of the four men, speaking to CBS but asking to remain unnamed for their own protection, described their arrest as “ridiculous,” and said the country often feels like a place of confinement.

Our friends simply dressed up as characters they loved from a British show for fun, but unfortunately, the Taliban’s religious police arrested them. What started as a harmless expression of enjoyment quickly became a terrible experience.

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2025-12-10 17:19