Afghanistan: Taliban bans martial art MMA

Islamabad (dpa) – The Islamist Taliban in Afghanistan are banning the full-contact combat sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). The morality police have banned the sport due to its violent nature and the potential danger of death, the director of physical education and sports in Afghanistan, Ahmadullah Wasik, told the television station Tolo News.

The government had previously ratified the so-called Law for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. Among other things, the law prescribes dress codes and rules of conduct for men and women.

According to the law, women must cover their faces and bodies in the presence of men who are not related to them. A woman’s voice is considered to be intimate, so they are forbidden from singing, reading aloud or reciting in public. The law prescribes beard and trouser length for men.

United Nations criticizes law

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) criticized the law. The regulations issued by the Islamist Taliban severely restrict people and strengthen the so-called morality police, it said in a statement.

The Taliban defend the newly adopted virtue law as an expression of Islamic values ​​and principles. A Taliban spokesman dismissed the concerns raised by UNAMA as unfounded: “It is the responsibility of every Muslim and every Islamic government to promote good and prohibit evil,” he said.

MMA is considered a popular martial art among young people in Afghanistan. In MMA, participants use the striking and kicking techniques of boxing and kickboxing as well as ground fighting techniques such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling and judo.