- It’s been proved beyond doubt that humankind keeps evolving in line with the changing times, leading to palpable progression despite encountering resistance from various quarters. This has been the phenomenon since time immemorial, as humanity embraces the novelty factor with great aplomb. Now, progression for the larger good of the community always defines a healthy trend. Benefits accrued to everybody rather than a few chosen means the endeavour is on the right track. Thus, every innovation, invention, development, progress, and growth factor has hugely complemented humanity’s quest for greater achievements. History is also replete with instances when brutality often reigns supreme despite making huge advancements. That’s a fact.
PC: Human Rights Watch
- Brutal reigns are innumerable as we look back. Even the present-day world is also witnessing brutal regimes making leading a decent life extremely challenging. Let’s look at how the Taliban regime has played out, unleashing brutality on the vulnerable population. Now, the extremist regime wishes to have tourists. Why shouldn’t it? Prime facie, it’s part of the normalization process of brutality. The North Korean dictator last month posed on a beach, surfing on the wave of happiness that the Dear Leader promises tourists visiting the newly developed Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist zone. The dictator wants more international tourists. So far, small Russian groups are the only package deal North Korea receives. Who wishes to visit a godforsaken region? None.
PC: Travel and Leisure Asia
- This month, it’s Taliban’s turn to invite tourists to Afghanistan. Wonsan Kalma and Afghanistan are beautiful places. But they are not on tourists maps for obvious reasons. For the uninitiated, the Taliban’s ad is made by a tour operator. It starts with a familiar chilling scene of beheadings: men, heads covered, kneeling in front of gun-wielding, presumably, Afghans. Only here, the headcover is yanked off to reveal a grinning White male flashing a thumbs-up sign. A flower tucked in the barrel of a machine gun, a close-up of an M4 rifle with ‘property of US govt’ etched, the 50-second ad flits between making light of the Taliban as people who terrorized, to stunning footage of Afghanistan. It is as extraordinarily tone-deaf as many of Trump’s Truth Social posts. You choose.
PC: Human Rights Watch
- The Taliban is intensifying its war against Afghan women. Banned from work and education, they’re publicly flogged, refused healthcare unless a male relative is present, and their movement is fully restricted. Heavily sanctioned Taliban wants tourists to earn some hard cash. But to make a beheading scene part of a promotion targeted at Americans is a cold measure of how normalized brutality is. Will Americans go, though their govt says don’t? Undoubtedly. Indifference to violence is a global culture; the unthinkable is routinely normalized. So, for a certain section, what could thrill more than swinging an M4 or Kalashnikov at Afghanistan’s majestic peaks? Needless to mention, reality and rights & wrongs can take a vacation. Tourists will not flock to Afghanistan.
