Tajikistan, the world’s leading exporter of suicide bombers to the Islamic State, has proposed a ban on various martial arts as a retaliatory measure to quench the domestic rise in extremism.
A newly published draft order prepared by the Tajikistan Committee of Youth, Sports, and Tourism shows plans for the isolated nation to ban nine different combat sports, including boxing, MMA, pankration, grappling arts, kickboxing, and other forms of hand-to-hand combat. The order has been submitted to the Ministry of Justice for state registration. If approved, the combat sports in question will be forbidden from holding professional events or offering classes in the disciplines across educational institutions.