Women In Afghanistan Won’t Be Allowed To Play Sports, It Exposes Their Bodies: Taliban
Mumbai: Women in Afghanistan won’t be allowed to participate in sports including cricket, Taliban announced. Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission, said that sports activities are not necessary for women as it exposes their bodies.
Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission, said in an exclusive interview with SBS News that sport is not seen as something that is important to women. Also Read: Taliban Cabinet Is Iellegal And Threat To The Afghanistan And World: National Resistance Front
“I don’t think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary that women play cricket,” Mr Wasik said.
“In cricket, they may face a situation where their face and body will not be covered. Islam does not allow women to look like this. Also Read: Don’t Engage In Recognition Of Govts: United Nations To Taliban Govt
“This is the age of the media, and there will be pictures and videos, and then people will see it. Islam and Islamic emirates do not allow women to play cricket or the kind of sport where they are exposed.”
Mr Wasik told SBS Pashto last month that the Taliban would allow men’s cricket to continue and that it has given the men’s national team the green light to travel to Australia for a Test match in Hobart later this year. Also Read: Taliban Government Is Anything But Inclusive: Afghan Envoy To UN
But his latest comments put the match and the future of Afghanistan’s men’s cricket team in doubt.
Twenty-five female cricketers were awarded contracts by the Afghanistan Cricket Board in November last year and are understood to have continued to pay players.
The International Cricket Council requires a national women’s team for all its 12 full members and only full members of the ICC are allowed to play Test matches.
Asked about the ICC’s ability to cancel Test matches in Australia, Mr Wasiq said the Taliban would not compromise
“Even for this, if we face challenges and problems, we have fought for our religion so that Islam is to be followed. We will not cross Islamic values even if it carries opposite reactions. We will not leave our Islamic rules,” Mr Wasiq said.
He said Islam allowed women to go out on a needs basis such as for shopping. Sport is not considered a need, he said.
“In cricket and other sports, women will not get an Islamic dress code. It is obvious that they will get exposed and will not follow the dress code, and Islam does not allow that.”
Speaking to the BBC, several members of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team said the Taliban had targeted players, issuing threats if they tried to play cricket again.
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