A women’s football tournament that was scheduled to kick off on December 17 has been cancelled for being un-Islamic.
The tournament was to be the first of its kind in the northern breakaway region of Somaliland.
However, the decision to cancel it has sparked outrage, especially with women’s rights groups condemning organizers and the authorities.
The tournament was to feature six women’s teams with each team representing one of Somaliland’s divisions.
It was to kick off on Thursday.
Abdirashid Aidid, the Director of Sports at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, said authorities cancelled the event because it went against “Islamic values.”
He said that the government took this decision in response to public anger, especially from local imams and sheikhs.
Amoun Adan, a footballer, businesswoman, and women’s rights advocate who organized the event, claimed that authorities gave her permission to launch it.