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Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
'Welcome to Afghanistan': Viral tourism video sparks debate over Taliban-era travel
"Welcome to Afghanistan!" beams a grinning man, flashing a thumbs-up moments after his hood is pulled off in a scene that mimics a hostage situation. That striking moment sets the tone for a 50-second video making the rounds on social media—created by Yosaf Aryubi, founder of Raza Afghanistan, a Kabul-based tour agency aiming to recast the war-torn country as an offbeat, adventure-packed travel destination. The video, shared by Taliban-linked accounts, blends grim parody with scenic travel shots, attempting to challenge long-held global perceptions of Afghanistan. It begins with a faux hostage scenario: three people kneeling with bags over their heads, flanked by five armed men. One announces ominously, 'We have one message for America.' Then, abruptly, the narrative flips. A bag is yanked off to reveal a foreign man who cheerily exclaims, 'Welcome to Afghanistan!' What follows is a whirlwind montage that shows smiling armed men, striking peace signs, tourists doing pull-ups on abandoned military tanks and wading through rivers or diving into lakes with weapons in hand. One frame zooms in on a weapon marked 'Property of US Government,' prompting someone off-camera to joke, 'Oh, it's not even on safety,' triggering a burst of laughter. These scenes are juxtaposed with lighter, almost idyllic visuals: tourists in traditional Afghan clothing sampling local cuisine, sipping milkshakes by a riverside, and even a parrot perched on a diner's head. In one symbolic image, a flower peeks out from a gun barrel, offering a surreal blend of hospitality and hard power. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo All of it plays over sweeping shots of Afghanistan's dramatic mountains, lakes, and historical ruins. Read more: Coffee or Tea? A journey through India's 8 most scenic plantations Yosaf, who grew up in the US and now divides his time between California and Kabul, told The Independent that the video was intentionally designed to disrupt stereotypes. 'It mocks how most of the West sees Afghanistan and then shows a bit of the reality that our guests experience,' he said. According to him, the travellers featured, Americans and Canadians, were actual clients who had signed up for his adventure-focused tours. These packages, he explained, combine cultural immersion, visits to historical sites, and outdoor activities. Tourists experience everything from families living in caves to lush gardens, as well as traditional markets, schools, and ancient castles. Despite these efforts to polish Afghanistan's global image, Western governments remain unconvinced. The US State Department maintains a Level Four 'Do Not Travel' advisory for the country, citing terrorism, crime, and the high risk of kidnapping. The US Embassy in Kabul shut down operations in 2021, leaving American citizens without consular support. Read more: 8 years after visa expiry, Russian woman discovered living in Karnataka cave Yet, that hasn't stopped a niche group of thrill-seeking travellers—or even influencers, from venturing in. American adult star Whitney Wright recently visited Afghanistan and shared photos on Instagram in March. She posed in Afghan attire and held a rifle at various tourist spots, according to The Daily Telegraph. Her posts drew criticism from some Afghan citizens who condemned the Taliban for granting access to foreign women while banning local women from public life. 'This is fundamentally hypocritical,' one critic remarked. Tourism numbers, although modest, are rising. Following the Taliban's return to power in 2021, arrivals reportedly increased from 691 in that year to 7,000 in 2023, as per the English daily. Still, many remain sceptical of the glossy rebrand. UK-based Afghan researcher Nazifa Haqpal told that life in the country remains 'dark, bleak and ugly.' Security experts also caution against casual tourism. Ross Thomson of Covac Global stressed that Afghanistan is still a high-risk destination, suitable only for seasoned travellers familiar with its volatile terrain and shifting political landscape. For now, the viral video serves as both a marketing gimmick and a conversation starter. Behind the smiles and scenic backdrops, it reflects a country in flux—balancing a desire for positive recognition with an undeniable, and deeply complicated, reality.
UPI
25-06-2025
- Business
- UPI
U.S. offers reward to locate abducted Afghan American in Afghanistan
The United States has offered a $5 million reward for help in locating Mahmood Shah Habibi, an American businessman who was abducted in Afghanistan in 2022. Photo courtesy FBI/ Release June 25 (UPI) -- The United States is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information locating Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan American businessman who was abducted in Afghanistan nearly three years ago. The reward from the U.S. State Department's Rewards for Justice Program was announced Tuesday by department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, who said during a regular press briefing, "We have determined that he has been disappeared, and that he has not been heard from." According to a release from the FBI in August, Habibi, a contractor for Kabul-based telecommunications company Asia Consultancy Group, and his driver were kidnapped from their vehicle near his home in the Afghan capital on Aug. 10, 2022. It is believed that he was taken by the Taliban along with 29 other employees of his company, all of whom, except for Habibi, have since been released. "He has not been heard from since his initial arrest, and the Taliban has yet to provide any information regarding his whereabouts or condition," the State Department said in a statement. Bruce said they are hoping the $5 million reward will entice someone to come forward. "It makes a difference in everyone's lives that we might get some information about him," she said. The U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. In its absence, the Taliban regained control of the Middle Eastern country.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
American George Glezmann freed by Taliban more than 2 years after arrest
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Thursday that American national George Glezmann was on his way back to the U.S. after being released by Afghanistan's Taliban rulers. Glezmann, an Atlanta native, had been in custody after being detained by Taliban authorities while on a tourist visit to Afghanistan in December 2022. He had been deemed wrongfully detained by the U.S. government. Rubio thanked Qatar, saying the nation's "steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts were instrumental in securing George's release." His statement came after former U.S. government envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad posted a statement on X announcing Glezmann's release, which he called "a goodwill gesture" to President Trump by the Taliban. Mr. Trump, Khalilzad said, had "made the freedom and homecoming of Americans held abroad a high priority. It is an honor to assist in this important effort." "George joins American Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, who were released from Afghanistan on the night of President Trump's inauguration and returned home to their families," Rubio said in his statement, adding: "George's release is a positive and constructive step. It is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will continue his tireless work to free ALL Americans unjustly detained around the world." Corbet and McKenty were released in January in exchange for a Taliban figure who had been imprisoned in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. Before President Joe Biden left office, his administration had also been working on a deal to secure the release of Corbett, Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company and also went missing in 2022. The Taliban has denied holding Habibi. Since retaking control of Afghanistan following the U.S. military withdrawal in the summer of 2021, the Taliban movement has failed to gain international recognition as the country's rightful rulers. Most nations, including the U.S., have refused to engage in formal diplomatic relations due to the Taliban's draconian crackdown on human rights, which has seen the Islamic extremist group erase virtually every freedom granted to Afghan women and girls during the two decades of Western-backed governance. The Taliban regime has tried to show that, despite those domestic policies, it is aligned with the U.S. in its determination to rid Afghanistan of the threat posed by ISIS. A statement issued Thursday by Afghanistan's Taliban-run Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Glezmann's release "a goodwill gesture, reflecting Afghanistan's readiness to genuinely engage all sides, particularly the United States of America, on the basis of mutual respect and interests." "The end of conflict in Afghanistan, suppression of corrupt groups such as Daesh [ISIS], and no threat emanating from Afghanistan towards others, demonstrates that Afghanistan can play a positive role in regional and world stability, and is able to resolve its issues with the world on amicable terms," the statement said. Sneak peek: The Puzzling Death of Susann Sills Inside Trump's call with Vladimir Putin Teslas in Las Vegas set on fire and shot with guns in "targeted attack," police say
Egypt Independent
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Taliban raids and suspends Afghanistan's only nationwide women's radio station
CNN — The Taliban suspended the operation of Afghanistan's only nationwide women's radio station after raiding its premises on Tuesday, February 4, deepening the exclusion of women from public life and society since the group took power in 2021. Kabul-based Radio Begum – a station run by women with content aimed at women's education – said officers from the Taliban's information and culture ministry restrained the station's staff as it searched its premises in the nation's capital. Officers 'seized computers, hard drives, files and phones from Begum staff, including Begum female journalists, and took into custody two male employees of the organization who do not hold any senior management position,' the station said in a statement on Tuesday. The ministry later confirmed the station's suspension, citing several alleged violations of 'broadcasting policy and improper use of the station's license,' including 'the unauthorized provision of content and programming to a foreign-based television channel.' It did not identify the foreign TV channel in question, but said it will determine the station's future 'in due course.' Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an independent rights group, condemned the suspension and demanded its immediate reversal. Before Tuesday's ban, Radio Begum broadcast six hours of lessons a day, along with health, psychology and spiritual programs to women across most of Afghanistan. The station said it provides education to Afghan girls and support to Afghan women, without being 'involved in any political activity whatsoever.' Its sister channels also offer lessons online filmed in studios thousands of miles away in Paris. The televised classes cover a wider array of subjects, providing education in a country where girls are banned from school after sixth grade. Tightening the grip The Taliban, a radical Islamist group not recognized by most countries around the world, has been tightening its grip on the media landscape since its takeover more than three years ago. Initially presenting itself as more moderate than during its previous rule of Afghanistan in the 1990s, it even promised that women would be allowed to continue their education up to university. But it has since cracked down instead, closing secondary schools for girls; banning women from attending university, working in most sectors and at NGOs, including the United Nations; restricting their travel without a male chaperone; and banning them from public spaces such as parks and gyms. Last year, the Taliban closed at least 12 media outlets, both public and private, according to RSF, which ranked Afghanistan 178 out of 180 countries in its latest press freedom index. The Islamist regime also banned the sound of women's voices in public – including singing, reciting, or reading aloud – under a strict set of 'vice and virtue' laws that made it even harder for Radio Begum to reach its female audience. This story has been updated.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Afghanistan's only women-led radio station to resume operations after Taliban lifts suspension
An Afghan radio station produced entirely by Afghan women will resume broadcasts after the Taliban lifted a suspension that was imposed over alleged cooperation with a foreign country's TV channel. Radio Begum launched on International Women's Day in March 2021, just five months before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan during the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from the region. The station's sister satellite channel, Begum TV, operates from France and broadcasts content on Afghanistan's school curriculum from grades seven through 12. The Taliban banned education for women and girls in the country after sixth grade. Rubio Demands Answers With 2 More Americans Reportedly Held By Taliban On Saturday, the Taliban's Information and Culture Ministry said in a statement that Radio Begum had repeatedly requested permission to resume broadcasts. Read On The Fox News App The suspension was lifted after the station made commitments to Taliban officials, the ministry said. Radio Begum agreed to conduct broadcasts "in accordance with the principles of journalism and the regulations of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and to avoid any violations in the future," the statement said. The ministry did not offer details on what those principles and regulations may be. Veterans Groups Ask Trump To Reconsider Immigration Executive Order, Cite Impacts On Afghan Partners The station confirmed it had been given permission to resume broadcasting, without providing additional details. Taliban officials imposed the suspension after they raided the Kabul-based station on Feb. 4 and seized computers, hard drives and phones, and took into custody two male employees who do not hold any senior management positions, the outlet said in a statement at the time. The Taliban have prohibited women from education, many fields of work and public spaces since they seized control of the country in the summer of 2021. Journalists, especially women, have lost their jobs as the Taliban control the media in the region. Reporters without Borders ranked Afghanistan 178 out of 180 countries in the 2024 press freedom index, a dip from the year before when it ranked 152. The ministry did not identify the TV channel it accused Radio Begum of working with, but its statement cited alleged collaboration with "foreign-sanctioned media outlets." The Associated Press contributed to this article source: Afghanistan's only women-led radio station to resume operations after Taliban lifts suspension
