Dylan Bettencourt
The newly formed Taliban government in Afghanistan has announced that women will be banned from participating in any sporting activities.
The deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission Ahmadullah Wasiq spoke to Australian broadcaster SBS, stating that women’s involvement in sport was neither necessary nor appropriate.
“I don’t think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary,” said Wasiq.
“They might be in a situation where their face and body will be uncovered. Islam does not allow women to be seen like this.”
Following the religious-political movement’s rise to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban promised that women would be included in activities such as work, school and sport but those promises have proved to be empty.
The recently formed administration does not include any women despite the group stating there will be female members in their administration.
Female athletes across the country have been in hiding, fearing that they may face punishment for participating in sport.
Several women in Afghanistan have reported that they have been threatened with violence by the Taliban if they are caught playing any form of sport.
After the Taliban’s rule ended in 2001 females took to sport to defy the Taliban but many women who played sport for the nation have now evacuated the country. The future of female athletes in the country looks desperate with the current athletes’ only hopes of competing being to seek refuge in another country.
Afghan refugee and professional football player Nadia Nadim said she didn’t expect the Taliban to follow through with their promises for women to participate in sport. Her prediction appears to have become a reality.
The only other nation that bars women from sport is Saudi Arabia with no women allowed to compete in any sporting activity.
The nation has however sent female athletes to the Olympics games in the past after they were threatened with a ban by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) if they did not send female athletes to the games.
Image source: @DailySabah
