The Taliban has prohibited table football (foosball) in Afghanistan’s Daikundi province, asserting that the miniature player figures in the game resemble idols, which they claim is forbidden in Islam. Local sources report that Taliban officials have instructed table football clubs to remove the heads of the player figures to continue the game; failure to comply will result in a complete ban.
This move is part of a broader pattern of the Taliban imposing strict interpretations of Islamic law on recreational activities. Previously, the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice banned video games and suspended the Afghan Chess Federation, declaring chess “haram” (forbidden).
The Taliban has not issued an official statement regarding the table football ban. However, the enforcement of such restrictions reflects the group’s ongoing efforts to regulate public life in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic principles.
These developments have raised concerns among international observers about the increasing limitations on personal freedoms and recreational activities in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
