Once anti-tech, Taliban is now media-savvy. A tongue-in-cheek video invites Americans to Afghanistan

The Print

2 days ago

The video, which has been uploaded on Raza Afghanistan's Instagram page, then pans out, showing a man doing pull-ups on the barrel of a rusted tank. Another swims across a lake with an assault rifle in hand. A rifle, still stamped 'Property of US Government', is examined casually as someone laughs off its unsecured safety switch.
The 50-second video, produced by Yosaf Aryubi, the owner of a tour company, Raza Afghanistan, begins with a staged execution scene—an unsettling image of five armed Afghan men standing behind three kneeling, hooded figures who appear to have been abducted. Then, abruptly, the script flips. One hood is pulled off to reveal a grinning man, apparently a foreigner, who flashes a thumbs-up. 'Welcome to Afghanistan!' he exclaims.
New Delhi: A promotional video circulating on Taliban-linked social media is grabbing international attention. A blend of dark humour, military imagery, and scenic landscapes, the video extends an unexpected and ironic invitation: Americans, come visit Afghanistan.
Cutting between these vignettes is more traditional tourist fare, of foreigners dressed in Afghan clothing, sampling local cuisine, and receiving warm greetings from villagers. The message is clear: Afghanistan is rugged, raw, and open for tourism.
The once anti-tech Taliban has long been using social media to change perspectives.
Alongside the invitation video, social media influencers, including US adult film actress Whitney Wright and Somali-American content creator Marian Abdi, have shared their travel experiences in the country through their posts.
But the messaging is a jarring contradiction—Afghanistan is presented as a nation safe for tourists while Afghan women remain barred from public life, higher education and employment.
Speaking about the video, Raghav Sharma, Director, Centre for Afghanistan Studies at OP Jindal Global University, told ThePrint: 'This is more of a symbolic move aimed to shore up the Taliban's quest for external legitimacy. It makes for a rather jarring contrast with their lack of regard for forging domestic legitimacy and their atrocious track record on rights and freedoms, especially for women. American influencers including porn artists are welcomed but Afghan women find themselves stifled.'
Sara Wahedi, founder of Civaam, a women-led civic platform in Afghanistan, said that 'although the Taliban has imposed a clear ban on TikTok, it turns a blind eye when it comes to tourism companies, who require Taliban approval to operate, promoting travel to the country'.
'There is no doubt that these tour guides are heavily monitored by the Taliban, permitting visits to historical sites and landscapes. Yet, in a dystopian sense, they are exchanging orientalist fascination for tourism—inviting travel to the 'other', Afghanistan—while fetishising a country where girls and women are systematically erased from society.'
'The invitation is clear: 'come see our country', but what you relinquish in return is the ability to fully acknowledge what is happening here,' she added.
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Taliban's social media outreach
Post their takeover of Kabul in 2021, the Taliban have aggressively used platforms like X, Telegram, WhatsApp and YouTube to shape international perceptions. The promotional video is part of this increasingly sophisticated media campaign aimed at rebranding the nation under their rule.
While they had banned the internet in their previous rule, the Taliban have seemingly turned into savvy users of social media. Even before reclaiming power in 2021, they had a strong online presence through platforms like the website Alemarah and used social media during the two-decade war with the US to spread their message and boost morale of cadres and supporters.
As they advanced across Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban shared videos and photos of surrenders, territorial gains, and even light-hearted moments like eating ice cream as a way to portray themselves as a victorious, modern force.
A July 2024 article published in East West Centre on the usage of social media by Taliban 2.0 notes that the Taliban are far more media-savvy than they were in the 1990s, with leaders like spokesperson Suhail Shaheen gaining hundreds of thousands of followers online.
Despite these rebranding efforts, the US continues to advise against travel to Afghanistan.
Its State Department maintains a level four 'do not travel' advisory for Afghanistan, citing terrorism, crime and the risk of abduction. Since the fall of Kabul in 2021 and suspension of operations at the American embassy there, US consular support is no longer available for its citizens.
Social media influencers do, however, venture into the country, even as the line between independent creator and state propaganda is murky in Afghanistan.
In 2023, when Afghan journalist-turned-YouTuber Hamed Latifee launched Afghanistan Streets, a channel offering viewers glimpses of daily life under Taliban rule, it highlighted humanitarian projects and development initiatives. Often, Latifee was joined by Rafiullah Ahmadzai, then a Kabul city official.
But Latifee's rising profile didn't go unnoticed. In March 2024, the channel was taken down, part of a broader effort by YouTube to clamp down on Taliban-affiliated content following reporting by The Washington Post.
According to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, anyone launching a YouTube channel must obtain a permit of regulations from the previous government. The aim, he says, is to ensure content complies with Sharia, supports national interests, and avoids 'fake news'.
In practice, that means if a YouTube channel is operating from inside Afghanistan, it's likely under Taliban oversight, and approval.
The Walrus reported, citing an article in the Afghan newspaper Etilaatroz, that the Taliban are paying up to $190 per month to individuals to push government-friendly narratives and drown out dissent. As many as 90 online personalities may be involved in this effort, it said, adding that Mujahid denies this, saying content creators are motivated by patriotism, not paychecks.
Still, the Taliban's digital footprint continues to grow. In 2022, Meta shut down the Facebook and Instagram pages of state-run agencies like Bakhtar News and Radio Television Afghanistan. WhatsApp followed suit in 2023, suspending accounts linked to Taliban officials.
But enforcement is inconsistent, and platforms like X have proven more lenient. While the company claims to remove content glorifying violence or promoting hate speech, it does not automatically suspend pro-Taliban accounts.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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