After the Taliban fighters entered the cities and the group seized control of the country, the Afghan citizen’s situation changed in many ways. It means the life of many citizens has changed against their desire. Hats and longi (turban), which had lost its value during the past two decades, have become the best-selling goods in the market once again since there is a bad economic situation. It means citizens have to buy it.
Herat residents, including government employees, the private sector, students, and most of the young people who used to wear formal clothes or pants and shirts, have once again to buy longies and hats. They are trying to change their appearance and style of clothing in order to match the Taliban’s style. The middle-aged and old people in Herat who remember the past rule of the Taliban and the young generation of this city, who only heard about it, are trying to change their appearance with the Taliban regaining power. These days, most men and youths of Herat wear caps or longi and wear Afghan shirts and turbans, so that their clothes will not be criticized and harshly treated by Taliban fighters, especially the officials of the “Command the good and forbid the evil” administration of this group.
In the first round of Taliban rule over the country, many people felt the pain of whipping because of their inappropriate appearance and clothing in the eyes of this group. According to a shopkeeper in Herat, over the past two decades, due to the promotion of modern clothes, especially formal dresses, hats and longi’s market has become less prosperous and its price has decreased in Herat due to the decrease in demand; therefore, fewer shopkeepers had longi and hats in their shops. Since the Taliban has got control of Herat city, most of the shopkeepers sell longi and hats in addition to other goods needed by buyers.
Azizullah, one of the shopkeepers of the North Road, the Central Mosque of Herat city, who has been shop-keeping in this area for a long time, says the following about the increase in prices and the sale of longies and hats after the Taliban regime came to power: “During the past 20 years When Mr. Karzai came to power, the wearing of hats and limps decreased over time. The people who lived in urban areas did not buy any longi, only the people of the rural areas bought hats and longi. In rural areas, it had decreased a lot compared to the past. Because most of the young people in rural areas did not wear hats and longi.” He adds: “After the Taliban came to Herat, most of my customers from rural areas buy hats and longi, even my customers who are living in the city, most of them buy hats and longi for themselves. “Because demands have increased; as a result, the price has also increased.”
He reports a 30-50% increase in the price of longi and hats and adds: “Before the Taliban came, I used to sell normal white hats for 40 Afghanis, but now I sell them for 60 Afghanis.” I used to sell simple Kandahari hats for 80 to 130 afghanis, but now I sell them for 120 to 200 afghanis. Similarly, the price of simple Pakistani longi used to be from 200 to 450 afghanis, but now it is sold from 300 to 650 Afghanis. Also, semi-silk longi was 2,500 Afghanis and now I sell 4,000 and the price of pure silk longi has increased from 4,000 Afghanis to 6,000 Afghanis.
Meanwhile, according to the shopkeepers in Herat city, with the arrival of the Taliban, the demand for longi and hats has increased, so they have added these two goods to their products as well. Hamidullah, a shopkeeper on the northern road, Jame Mosque in Herat, says: “In previous years, the demand for longi and hats had decreased very much. When I used to bring hats and caps, they would stay in the store for up to a year and not be sold. I had to stop taking it. But as soon as the Taliban came to power, most of my customers asked for longi and hats every day. When I saw that people’s demand is very high, I added these two types of pens again, and they are selling very well. “More than anything else, I sell caps and hats daily.”
Mullah Yaqoob’s longi, A Desired Brand
Mujahid, the son of Mullah Muhammad Omar and the Acting Minister of the Taliban Defense Ministry, is wearing a limp in the published pictures of him. One of the longies he is wearing has become a brand among the Taliban. Those, who mostly wear longi, precisely choose the type of longi that Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob uses. It is known as “Mullah Sahib’s longi” among the Taliban.
Mohammad Naeem, a shopkeeper on the north road of Central Mosque in Herat, says this about the Taliban’s imitation of their commander’s longi: “Most of the Taliban, especially the Helmand and Badghisi Taliban, when they come to buy longi, they say they want Mullah Sahib Yaqoob’s Longi, as it has more demand than any other products in the market. He adds: “The Taliban in current time is very fashionable compared to the Taliban lived in the past.” “One of the Taliban commanders has bought several silk longies from me. He buys most of the longies that cost up to 6,000 Afghanis.”
The increase in demand for longies and hats in the Herat market has led to a boom in the sale of silk and semi-silk longies imported from Pakistan. Mohammad Osman, a shopkeeper in the south alley of Central Mosque in Herat, has a shop for selling auction items. He seems happy with his daily sales, saying, “I used to get fewer Longies. After the arrival of the Taliban, the sale of longies has increased and I have brought a lot of longies to sell. Most of my customers are Taliban and most of them buy Langies which is known as Mullah Yaqoob’s Longi. On the other hand, because the price of silk longies is high, people are not able to buy them in this difficult situation.
The demand for longies and caps in the Herat market has increased while Pakistani longies have captured the market of this product. The silk longi’s weaving industry in Herat, which was nationally famous and enjoyed special prosperity in the past, has now been replaced by low-quality Pakistani longies due to excessive imports, and hundreds of production workshops of this high-quality national product have been closed.
