what religions are practiced in afghanistan?
Shia Islam Sunni Islam
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 Before the arrival of Islam , Afghanistan had close cultural ties with India , and the adoration of both Hindu and Buddhist deities was practiced . Examples of sculptures from the 5th to the 7th centuries have survived , suggesting that the worship of Ganesha was then in vogue in the region . 

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 There is also a sizeable Bahá 'í population ( 10 % ) – the largest proportion of any country in the world – and Buddhist ( 9 % ) and Muslim ( 2 @.@ 2 % ) populations . 

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 From its origins in the Persian and Ottoman Empires , by the early 20th century there were a number of converts in South and South East Asia , Europe , and North America . During the 1950s and 1960s , vast travel teaching efforts brought the religion to almost every country and territory of the world . By the 1990s , Bahá 'ís were developing programs for systematic consolidation on a large scale , and the early 21st century saw large influxes of new adherents around the world . The Bahá 'í Faith is currently the largest religious minority in Iran , Panama , and Belize ; the second largest international religion in Bolivia , Zambia , and Papua New Guinea ; and the third largest international religion in Chad and Kenya . 

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 Afghanistan is a member of the South Asian zone of the Olympic Council of Asia , and has competed in the Asian Games since the inaugural edition of the Games in 1951 in New Delhi . On September 26 , 1996 , the Taliban annexed the Kabul and established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan . Under the Taliban regime all types of sporting activities were deprecated , as according to the Taliban , most of them were against the teachings of Islam and Islamic law . Many stadiums , like Ghazi Stadium of Kabul , were either destroyed or converted into venues for public executions and punishments . Women were banned from taking part in any type of sport ; male athletes were allowed to participate in a few sports , but were forced to wear long sleeves , trousers and beards . Following such incidents and discrimination against women , the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) banned Afghanistan National Olympic Committee and barred them from taking part in the Olympic Games . 

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 Because its themes of friendship , betrayal , guilt , redemption and the uneasy love between fathers and sons are universal themes , and not specifically Afghan , the book has been able to reach across cultural , racial , religious and gender gaps to resonate with readers of varying backgrounds . 
