PESHAWAR: Ahmadullah Wasiq, the deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission, said Afghan women will not be allowed to play any sport – including cricket – without covering their bodies and faces.
“Women’s participation in sports is unnecessary and it will not be appreciated as it would violate Islamic values,” Wasiq said in his interview with Australian media. He stressed that women should not be allowed to play cricket because in cricket, women face a situation where they are unable to cover their bodies and faces. “Thus, it is against the teachings of Islam,” he maintained.
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Ahmadullah Wasiq said that this is the age of media and everyone sees pictures and videos, so, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will not allow women to participate in sports in which their bodies are prominent.
The Taliban have announced the interim government of Afghanistan two days ago and selected Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund as the Prime Minister while Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Maulvi Abdul Salam Hanafi were appointed as the Deputy Prime Ministers. The interim government does not include any women, which is a matter of concern for the European Union and other European countries, demanding equal rights for women.
The newly selected interim deputy culture minister said that it is not necessary for women to play sport such as cricket. But he said that the Taliban will encourage and support male cricket team which would soon visit Australia. However, he made it clear that there is no future of women cricket team in Afghanistan. The Australian government has announced to cancel the series after the Taliban banned women’s participation in sports.
The women activists have staged several protests against the Taliban urging them to protect the rights of women and fulfill the commitment made with the international community. The women were demanding equal rights and full participation in politics and other fields including sports. However, the Taliban have not issued any positive statement in this regard, but, has announced that no protest will be allowed in the country without prior permission from the Taliban authorities.