Armed militiamen and hooded hostages, the surreal video for US tourists: "Come visit Afghanistan"

Credits: iampocoloco Instagram account

Everything begins with a classic kidnapping scene: five armed Taliban fighters stand towering behind a row of three hooded men. The Taliban member in the center, with a threatening demeanor, greets and proclaims: “We have a message for America.” But just a few moments later, the situation flips into a set straight out of a Sacha Baron Cohen film. The plot twist comes as soon as the supposed terrorist removes the black bag from one of the hostages’ heads, who amusedly exclaims: “Welcome to Afghanistan.” A soundtrack begins, followed by a series of surreal sequences that show a mixture of scenes tied to moments of leisure such as outings, day trips, swimming, picnics, and dinners out, accompanied by grotesque scenes where instruments of death become objects of amusement and entertainment. Kalashnikovs and tanks serve as the backdrop to rowdy moments that reduce the use of force to folklore, in a contrast that is deeply unsettling. These Taliban, armed to the teeth, appear amused as they entertain their Western guests with these peculiar “souvenirs.” It seems in every way the teaser for a simulation. At one point, the “tourist” is seen holding an M4 rifle belonging to the U.S. government. He appears amused to find the weapon doesn’t even have the safety on. The message is clear: “We’re in charge here, and after having managed to reconquer our land, we invite you to visit it as guests.”

The author of the video is Yosaf Aryubi, who, according to the British outlet The Independent, runs the Raza Afghanistan travel agency. In another recently published video, the tone remains similar to that of a tourism commercial: “The ransom business isn’t as lucrative as CNN makes it seem. Especially when you become friends with the hostages,” reads the caption accompanying the post.

According to The Independent, the video currently circulating on social media shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Since retaking power in 2021, the Taliban have sought to make Afghanistan more appealing in the eyes of tourists, even while imposing extremely severe restrictions on citizens’ freedoms, particularly those of women. These efforts to clean up their image appear to have worked, at least in part. In 2021, the British paper writes, Afghanistan recorded 691 tourist visitors. In 2023, that number rose to 7,000. Nevertheless, the U.S. State Department continues to stress that American citizens should not travel to the country “for any reason.”