I’m in Australia, and “gay panic” was still a reasonable defence in having a charge of murder downgraded to manslaughter until four years ago in my state.
Bamiyan, one of the poorest regions in impoverished Afghanistan, is a popular destination for foreign tourists because it contains Buddhist monastic ensembles and sanctuaries, according to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
I could only guess and say that it’s not an insignificant amount if they’re calling it a popular destination.
I remember hearing a theory that it could have been intended as a viral marketing campaign for the remake of It. Once it started getting bad press, they gave up on the idea, but copycats kept copycatting.
No idea if there’s any truth to any of that, but it seems plausible.