Halal or Haram: From visiting a “porn star” to the exclusion of women from society

The trip of Whitney Wright, the famous star of American porn films, to Afghanistan has provoked many reactions. Dozens of people on social media networks have criticized the trip of this porn star to the Taliban, who have imprisoned Afghan women at home, but they take special security measures for foreign tourists, even porn stars, and plan their tours.

On the first day of Ramadan, Whitney Wright published her new photos of her presence in different cities of Afghanistan. In one of these photos, where she is holding a Kalashnikov on his shoulder and seems to have been taken under the strict security measures of the Taliban, it has provoked many reactions.

Wright is not the first person whose trip to Afghanistan has caused a reaction. Earlier, a number of foreign female YouTubers also made news by carrying Taliban weapons and taking pictures with the Taliban members.

Whitney Wright, published new photos of her presence and one of these photos, in which she appears with a Kalashnikov on his shoulder, has become controversial.

Social media users have stated that this action was carried out under strict security measures of the Taliban and usually, Taliban fighters take foreign tourists to tourist areas with special security measures.

This famous star of American porn films has also published a video of her presence in Band-e-Amir National Park in Bamyan province, where the entry of Afghan women was prohibited by order of the Taliban one and a half years ago.

Khaled Hanafi, the Minister of Public Affairs and Prohibition of the Taliban, has prevented women from entering this place. He had claimed that “tourism is neither obligatory nor necessary.”

On Friday, Whitney Wright published pictures of Kabul and Herat on her pages on social networks, which show different situations in these cities. In these pictures, Ariana’s plane, the tiled roof of a shrine in Herat, a shop and rickshaws can be seen in a street, but she herself is not present in any of these pictures.

Whitney Wright has traveled to Islamic countries such as Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and now Afghanistan.

According to the Taliban’s virtue and vice orders, women in Afghanistan are not allowed to travel more than 72 kilometers alone without a male partner. They also banned women from entering parks, restaurants and gyms.

Unlike their treatment of porn star actors and foreign female tourists, the Taliban discriminate and oppress Afghan women and girls. According to the order of the Taliban, currently women have been excluded and marginalized from all spheres of collective life.

Reactions of social network users

Social media users say that the Taliban provide facilities to present a “positive image” of Afghanistan under their rule. Places such as Kabul National Museum, Babur Garden, Bamiyan Buddhas and Band-e-Amir National Park are places that are prohibited for women inside the country according to Taliban orders, but foreign female tourists, visit these places with a smile and without hijab and take photos shoulder-to-shoulder with Taliban fighters.

A number of social media users have written that the Taliban have welcomed Whitney Wright with special measures, while they call women’s voices forbidden and have banned education, and the right to work and travel for girls and women in Afghanistan. According to these users, the Taliban are rolling out the red carpet for an adult film actress to attract the support of foreigners.

Lina Rube, one of the journalists, wrote that the Taliban are trying to somehow invite foreigners to Afghanistan in order to normalize the situation for the world by filming and photographing this country.

International media reaction to Whitney Wright’s trip

Whitney Wright’s trip has also provoked many reactions in the international media. A number of famous American media including the Associated Press (AP), referring to the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls, have said that this group is eager to attract foreign tourists to promote the Taliban.

The Associated Press wrote that Wright needs a visa to enter Afghanistan, but there is no Afghan embassy or consulate in the United States that can obtain a visa.

AP also wrote, quoting the US State Department, that this ministry has advised American citizens to avoid traveling to Afghanistan due to internal unrest, crime, terrorism, kidnapping, and limited health facilities. The ministry emphasized that there is a risk of illegal detention of US citizens by the Taliban.