ISIS Releases Travel Brochure, Inviting Muslims For A Jihadi Vacation

Despite the continuing crackdown of the international community on the Islamic State as covered in this HNGN article, ISIS seems to be keen on creating a positive image for the caliphate, releasing a travel brochure inviting people to visit ISIS-controlled lands of Iraq and Syria.

The bizarre brochure presents a very different image of the usual ISIS fare. In place of the brutal depictions of beheadings, drownings, and executions, the travel brochure features tranquil shots of jihadists cliff jumping, swimming in an Olympic-sized pool, and a jihadi beekeeper harvesting honey, according to The Mirror.

One of the most ironic pictures in the brochure is that of the city of Raqqa in northern Syria, which is presented as a tourist attraction boasting beautiful sunset views across the Euphrates River, which flows through the bomb-damaged city. Raqqa has recently been the scene of intense fighting.

Despite the relative normalcy present in the pictures, several pictures in the brochure still manage to reflect the harsh realities of life under the Islamic State's rule.

In the image that features swimmers bathing in an Olympic-sized pool, ISIS rules plastered on walls warn swimmers to expect harsh punishments if they do not wear long shorts and T-shirts. Swimmers are also prohibited to swear or pray while in the water, reports The Daily Mail.

Apart from this, strict prohibitions on women entering the pool are also being implemented.

The pool pictures also invoke grim images of a recent ISIS video showing the execution of four men by drowning, who were put in a cage and lowered into a swimming pool.

The brochure seems to be ISIS' latest move in order to rebrand the caliphate. Last month alone, the group posted pictures of choccy bars, a bridal boutique and a shopping mall to lure British jihadists to Mosul in Iraq. The Nineveh, a five-star hotel on the Tigris River, has also been reopened.

Tags

ISIS, ISIS video, Crisis, ISIL, Jihad, Jihadist, Jihadis, Jihadists, Syria, Iraq, Raqqa