Swapnarka Arnan
A tour agency from Afghanistan has gone viral for producing darkly comic promotional videos that parody hostage situations. In one clip, armed men seem to be holding a foreigner captive, but then reveal it’s a prank. The “hostage” cheerfully shouts, “Welcome to Afghanistan!” before a montage shows them enjoying local culture, food, and landscapes.
A growing number of social media influencers are visiting Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and showcasing the country as a hidden travel gem. Their videos highlight scenic mountains, busy markets, and “authentic cultural experiences.”
The issue isn’t displaying Afghanistan’s beauty; the land, its rich history, and its people have much to share. The real issue is what these influencers ignore, which is the harsh reality of life under a regime that enforces gender apartheid, crushes dissent, and operates as an authoritarian state.
Every cheerful selfie and vlog about how misunderstood Afghanistan is risks sanitizing the image of a theocratic dictatorship. The Taliban are not a charming cultural curiosity; their regime has stopped girls from getting a secondary education, limited how women can engage in public life, enforced strict dress codes, and persecuted journalists and minorities.
In fact, the situation for women in Afghanistan is so grim that the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Taliban leaders for their persecution of women and girls.
When influencers film themselves walking freely in Kabul, they overlook the fact that millions of Afghan women cannot travel across their own country freely, let alone travel abroad.
“What we’re seeing instead is a curated, sanitized version of the country that conveniently erases the brutal realities faced by Afghan women under Taliban rule,” said renowned Afghan activist and scholar Orzala Nemat in an interview with NBC News.
The effects go beyond perception.
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