Kabul, Afghanistan – In a significant move, Afghanistan’s Taliban government has banned mixed martial arts (MMA), labeling the sport as un-Islamic, according to a statement released by the country’s sports authority on Wednesday.
The decision follows an investigation led by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the body responsible for upholding Islamic morality. The investigation aimed to assess MMA’s compliance with Islamic law, or Sharia, and concluded that the sport is incompatible with the teachings of Islam.
“It was found that the sport is problematic with respect to Sharia and it has many aspects which are contradictory to the teachings of Islam,” the Taliban government’s sports authority stated in a release distributed to AFP. “That’s why this decision has been made to ban mixed martial arts in Afghanistan.”
An official from the sports authority further explained to local media that the ban was imposed partly due to the violent nature of MMA, which poses a significant risk of injury or even death to its participants.
Since their return to power in 2021, the Taliban authorities have enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law across Afghanistan. Recently, they formalized a new morality law that outlines strict behavioral and dress codes, including prohibiting men from wearing shorts above the knee.
Martial arts, including various traditional forms, have long been popular in Afghanistan. Notably, four out of the 11 Afghan athletes who participated in the Paris Games, either as part of the national or Refugee Olympic teams, were martial artists.
MMA, although widely practiced and followed globally, has not been recognized as an Olympic sport, partly due to ongoing concerns over the safety and well-being of its athletes.
