'We have one message for America': Taliban 'welcomes' US tourists - in video featuring hostages. YES, you read it right

Taliban has a peaceful message for America - in a video featuring hostages. A video was shared online by a few Taliban-linked accounts in an effort to promote tourism in Afghanistan - ruled by the Islamic extremists. The video was aimed at rebranding Afghanistan as a peaceful, tourist-friendly place. But the only twist is, the makers use dark humour to do so. The viral 50-second clip was created by Yosaf Aryubi, founder of Raza Afghanistan, a tour agency that offers travel packages to international visitors, according to The Independent. It starts with a scene mimicking a hostage situation. It showed three men kneeling with black bags on their hands and faces covered with them, while three men stood behind with guns. “We have one message for America,” one of them said. Then suddenly, he removes the black bag from one of the "hostages" and the man smiles and says, “Welcome to Afghanistan,” while showing his thumb to the camera.

The video came amid persistent warnings from the US government, which strongly advises its citizens against travelling to the country.

The video further showed a montage of armed men smiling, giving peace signs to the camera. In one shot, the camera zooms in on a rifle labelled “Property of US Government” as a man chuckles, noting, “It's not even on safety." The video also showed foreigners enjoying a lavish Afghan meal. A parrot perches on a diner's head, a flower is tucked into a gun barrel, and the stunning Afghan countryside is seen on full display in the video.

Why the video?

The makers, Yosaf, grew up in the US and keep travelling to Kabul and California. He told The Independent that the video was meant to challenge the Western perception of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. “It mocks how most of the West sees Afghanistan and then shows a bit of the reality that our guests experience,” he told the news agency.