The Taliban 2.0 World is Not Safe Despite the First Day in Afghanistan, as Revealed by Nilaab, an Afghan Girl in Warfare
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan for the first time, their parents did not hesitate to pack their bags and flee: Their daughter was just 5 at the time and the Taliban wanted to impose auritanical form of Islam.
The new government was quick with assurances that this time would be different, that the Taliban of the 2020s was not the Taliban of the 1990s, and that there would be no brutal campaign of repression against the women of Afghanistan.
Maybe they were telling the truth, Nilaab thought. She hoped so. She came home as a teenager after a decade in exile, but she was not interested in the same experience again.
The United Nations estimates that some 22 million people – around half the population – need urgent food aid after the worst winter in 15 years. The Taliban has all but erased women from public life, recently banning them from working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which has limited help in some places.
Now experiencing their first significant pause in conflict for decades, Kabul and other towns continue to bustle with commerce. Shops and restaurants are still open. Battered autos are in the road. Electricity is in short supply, but generators keep lights on in hotels and the homes of those who can afford them.
Ilii says that Afghanistan is not safe despite being the most dangerous country in the world. My advice is to research, get a good local guide and respect the culture you are visiting by being kind to people.
Arash Azizzada, co-director of the nonprofit Afghans For A Better Tomorrow, says while travelers may be curious about the country, their presence could serve the interests of the Taliban more than the people.
The Taliban allowed me to go to all the places I was planning to go because they wanted to represent themselves as peaceful people. The Taliban from 20 years ago didn’t care what the world thought of them. This version, Taliban 2.0, does care. They are trying to make them look better in the world.
The United Arab Emirates is the largest hub for international flights in and out of Afghanistan. Each week, there are 16 flights from a number of countries to the Kabul International Airport.
Beyond that, there are direct flights from Istanbul, Turkey, as well as from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad and from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Land borders with several other countries are also open.
The risk of kidnapping for US citizens is high in Afghanistan and travel there is unsafe according to the State Department. The US government is not able to provide emergency citizen services in Afghanistan and our ability to assist detained US citizens is extremely limited.”
Untamed Borders Travels Post Taliban Insurability in the Balkandahar: A Journey Across the Taliban’s New Rule
Natural disasters like famine and collapsing healthcare bring their own consequences, as do international sanctions.
“The vast majority of travel insurance policies sold will not provide cover and the policy is void or not in place if you go to a country that is on a government ‘Do Not Travel’ status,” Andrew Jernigan, CEO of travel insurance company Insured Nomads, tells CNN.
In situations like these, Insured Nomads offers a “World Explorer Hotspot” plan that begins at $810 per individual for one week. The plan includes kidnap and extortion services and what the company calls a special ops and crisis response 24/7.
James Willcox, co-founder of tourism company Untamed Borders, has been leading groups to Afghanistan since 2008. He made his first trip under the Taliban’s new rule in fall 2022.
Although that may seem puzzling for outsiders who have seen images of strife on TV, Willcox says that “as far as security is concerned in Afghanistan, the major anti-government group is now the government.”
He and his clients have been able to visit more parts of the country than before, such as the once Taliban stronghold of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.
The Untamed Borders group stayed in a range of accommodation during their visit: hotels in larger cities, homestays in rural areas and even one night camping in pop-up tents in the Bamiyan valley, most famous for the colossal Buddha statues that were destroyed by the previous Taliban government in 2001.
The group ate dinner at their homes because they didn’t like going out at night in rural regions.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/afghanistan-travel-post-taliban-cmb-intl-hnk/index.html
Traveling in the Taliban: A Tale of Two Men: Ili and Willcox ‘Talibrating in Afghanistan’
Willcox also had the group travel around in regular cars instead of SUVs or tricked-out Jeeps. “About 95%” of cars in Afghanistan are Toyotas, specifically models like Corollas and Camrys, so he knew his clients would attract less attention using the same kinds of vehicles.
Ilii and his driver and translator made their way through small towns, staying in local hotels and homes. He says he liked kabuli pilaw so much that he ate it every day while in Kabul last fall.
On their return visits, Willcox and Ilii were able to go to new regions of the country, including the Minaret of Jam which was a 12th century structure located in remote Ghor province.
Still, there were last-minute wrinkles. It’s customary in rural areas to request permission to visit from the local leadership, which was tricky on Fridays when everything is closed for the Muslim day of worship.
Willcox says security posts are still part of life in Afghanistan, but now they are staffed by Taliban fighters instead of the Afghan National Army.
“Obviously nothing’s been rebuilt (because) there’s no money. There’s Taliban flags around, but apart from that, everything looks pretty much the same,” says Willcox. “And at the checkpoints one of the most remarkable things is the Taliban fighters had zero interest in us.”
Iličić feels that the Taliban were interested in his vlogging and saw it as an opportunity to get good PR. He said that he was invited in for tea and a chat at the checkpoint.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/afghanistan-travel-post-taliban-cmb-intl-hnk/index.html
The role of the Taliban for women in the public sector: What is up with women tourists in Afghanistan? Comment on Angkor Thom Willcox
The Taliban has increasingly limited the public sphere of women since taking power, restricting them from workplaces, educational institutions and even public parks.
Willcox says it is up to the guide to make sure that female tourists are respectable. “The guys are responsible for upholding certain values and if they don’t, they’re shamed.”
Willcox says that women have their own kind of freedom in Afghanistan. They can talk to local women about their day- to-day life in the country.