Representatives of the Taliban movement, who are in power in Afghanistan, have threatened to ban table football in the province of Daikundi due to the similarity of the players' figures to idols, Fergana.ru reports, citing Afghanistan International.
The Taliban have instructed table football clubs to remove the heads of players because they "resemble idols," which is forbidden in Islam, according to people familiar with the matter. Failure to do so will result in a complete ban on table football.
The Taliban representatives themselves have not made any official statements on this matter.
Since coming to power in 2021, the Taliban have been introducing more and more restrictions in Afghanistan. In particular, in some regions of the country, it has been banned to show people in the media, take photos and videos of events. The ban includes cinemas, musical instruments, the use of a number of social networks, men shaving their beards, wearing ties, and even playing chess.
Many similar decisions are made regarding women. They are not allowed to receive secondary and higher education, play sports, walk in parks, and even speak loudly and participate in court proceedings.