Afghanistan International: Taliban police say they arrested four men in Kabul who allegedly planned to attack UNAMA’s office and staff, claiming they belonged to the National Resistance Front. The NRF rejected the allegation as intelligence propaganda. The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan rejected the allegations. In a statement on Wednesday, the group said those shown
8am: Leaked documents from the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) show that the group has allocated a budget of more than 70 million Afghanis to advance a broad propaganda and media campaign, using media outlets and fake accounts to portray opposition fronts as weak, sow discord among former political leaders and their supporters, instill
8am: A number of the country’s citizens say the Taliban have created accounts on social media using girls’ names and photos, and use these accounts to promote the group and defend its conduct. According to them, these accounts tend to become more active whenever reports are published about oppression, rape, killing, corruption, and other Taliban
The Diplomat: What might feel like an adventurous trip to an underexplored country can turn out to be an unintentional investment in the oppression of the Afghan people. A growing number of social media influencers are visiting Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and showcasing the country as a hidden travel gem. Their videos highlight scenic mountains, busy markets,
NBC News: They are seen exploring the country’s landlocked, mountainous terrain and its tribal culture in videos posted online, contesting perceptions that the country is unsafe and hostile to women. While thrilling for the influencers and their followers, critics accuse these carefully edited travelogues of whitewashing the harsh realities of life in Afghanistan, particularly for
8am: Women and girls in Afghanistan accuse foreign tourists of whitewashing the Taliban’s image, claiming that these tourists enter the country at the direct invitation of the Taliban. According to these women, foreign tourists, seeking to attract attention and enjoy their travel experiences, deliberately overlook the suffering and deprivation of women stripped of all their
The Daily Mail (UK): British Muslim clerics who embarked on a so-called ‘fact-finding’ mission to Afghanistan have praised the ‘beautiful’ Taliban leaders for instilling freedom in the country following their rise to power amid the US pullout in August 2021. But Zalmai Nishat, founder of the anti-extremist Etidal Peace and Democracy Foundation told The Times:
WP: The Taliban-run government is fostering a thriving community of YouTube influencers and video bloggers in Afghanistan, seeking to shape a positive narrative about the country by rewarding those who have welcome viewpoints with access to stories that can draw millions of views online. Meanwhile, videos that are critical of the Taliban have largely disappeared
Worldcrunch: Nothing can beautify life in Afghanistan under the Taliban. So how can we promote a country whose government practices terrorism against its people? That’s what Arab world influencers are doing. The Taliban has invested heavily in the male Arab YouTubers and influencers to promote the rosy life in Afghanistan under its rule, and these
8am: In Ghazni, some women, and girls strongly criticize the Taliban for their dual standards towards local women, and foreign women visiting the province. They assert that the Taliban consistently tightened their strict restrictions on women in Ghazni province, while foreign women freely move around different parts of the province without any prohibitions, enjoying full