The Taliban government of Afghanistan continued efforts to grow the country’s travel and tourism sector have resulted in a promotional video that news outlets are calling “surreal” and “dark”. The advertisement, lasting 50 seconds, grabs attention by pretending to be hostage video.
“We have one message for America,” says one of three sinister-looking men standing behind three people with bags over their head, in an intro that deliberately resembles a terrorist video. But instead of violence, the clip then shows the speaker removing his “hostage’s” hood to reveal a smiling man who delivers a thumbs up and a cheery “Welcome to Afghanistan” to camera.
The advert’s creator, Yosaf Aryubi, of tour agency Raza Afghanistan, grew up in the US, according to reporting in The Independent, which quotes him defending the video by explaining that it “mocks how most of the West sees Afghanistan and then shows a bit of the reality that our guests experience.” Aryubi says his guests are taken to visit families and schools, and he emphasizes the “cultural, historic and adventure packages” on offer as well as Afghanistan’s “ancient markets” and “castles.”
However, public reactions to the video have been mixed to say the least, with many pointing out the insensitivity of turning hostage-taking and gruesome killings into a joke. In 2002, jihadist fundamentalists in Pakistan executed Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, recording and releasing the beheading on film. Other similar kidnaps and murders were filmed during the rise of the Islamic State during the 2010s. Criticism points out that family and friends of those killed would likely be deeply distressed by the film’s initial tone, and that many decent people around the world, will find the framing device in extremely poor taste.
Still, Aryubi’s American background has given him an eye for dark humour that cuts both ways. The “terrorists” in his advert go on to film Afghan landscapes and waterfalls, swim holding automatic weapons above their head and joke about American attitudes to gun culture, referencing rifles left behind by US forces that are “not even on safety.”
The advert has been approved and shared by accounts associated with the Taliban regime and has certainly succeeded in drawing worldwide attention to Afghanistan. Whether it portrays a non-violent, welcoming culture, or backfires in reminding potential visitors that the country is still under a US State Department Do Not Travel advisory, due to the risk of insurgent violence, kidnapping, and a lack of diplomatic ties, remains to be seen.
