The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have issued a ban on mixed martial arts (MMA), labelling the sport as incompatible with Islamic principles. The announcement was made on August 28 by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, through its moral police division.
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The ministry’s decision follows a thorough assessment of MMA’s alignment with Islamic law, known as "sharia." A Taliban sports official informed that the evaluation revealed multiple aspects of the sport that contradict Islamic teachings, leading to its prohibition.
Martial arts are widely practised in Afghanistan and remain a popular sporting activity. Of the 11 Afghan athletes who participated in the recent Paris Olympics, four were martial artists. However, MMA, which is not included in the Olympic roster due to safety concerns, has now been explicitly banned by the Taliban government.
This ban is part of the Taliban’s broader initiative to ensure that all activities in Afghanistan conform to their interpretation of Islamic law. The move aligns with the government's ongoing efforts to regulate public life according to religious guidelines.
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