ISIS Opens ‘Disney-Style’ Theme Parks in Iraq and Syria… No Joke

While Russia has diverted much of the world’s attention to the war in Syria, the Islamic State’s online propagandists are working to divert attention away from the dangers of living under ISIS with the announcement of two new theme parks opening in Iraq and Syria.

The images of the theme parks– which Yahoo! News describes as being in Fallujah, Iraq, and the Islamic State “capital” of Raqqa, Syria– surfaced following the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Pro-Islamic State propagandists on social media allege the parks opened to celebrate the holiday, which corresponds with the end of the hajj, or mandatory pilgrimage, Muslims are to make to Mecca, Saudi Arabia every year.

The photos show smiling children enjoying various rides, as well as landscapes featuring ferris wheels and a play train. The rides fail to disguise the ravages of war; beyond the foreground, dilapidated buildings and bombed-out areas can be seen…

Read More: ISIS Propaganda Distracts from War with New Theme Parks