“In contradiction with the teachings of Islam”: MMA banned by the Taliban in Afghanistan

Les combats en cage ne sont pas autorisés en Afghanistan. MAXPPP – Dalton Hamm

Les talibans au pouvoir en Afghanistan ont interdit la pratique des arts martiaux mixtes (MMA) jugés violents et incompatibles avec l'islam, ont annoncé les autorités du sport mercredi.

The order was issued by the morality police, part of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (PVPV), after an investigation into the sport's compliance with Islamic law, or sharia, according to the statement and local media.

“The sport has been found to be problematic under sharia law and in many ways contradicts the teachings of Islam,”, the Taliban government's sports authority said in a statement.

Kicks, punches, knees and elbows, ground strikes, strangulation, etc…

"That's why the decision was made to ban mixed martial arts in Afghanistan". A sports authority official told local media that MMA was banned partly because it was considered too violent, likely to result in injury or death.

MMA is an extreme combat sport that combines the techniques and rules of many disciplines ranging from wrestling to judo and Thai boxing. Very popular in Afghanistan, this sport born in Brazil has long suffered from a sulphurous image because it allows kicks, punches, knees and elbows, as well as ground strikes, strangulations and keys inside a closed enclosure.

Not yet an Olympic discipline

Deeming the discipline too violent, France was one of the last major countries to officially ban MMA, before its legalization in 2020. However, the sport is not an Olympic discipline, partly for security reasons. Four of the eleven Afghan athletes who competed in the Paris Games, either on the national team or the Refugee Olympic Team, were martial arts athletes.

The Taliban authorities returned to power in 2021 and are applying an ultra-rigorous interpretation of Islamic law. On August 22, they announced the promulgation of a law that imposes new restrictions on women, among other things.

This new 35-article legislation potentially controls all aspects of Afghans' lives, social and private. The “morality” law also prohibits men from wearing shorts above the knee.