Gambling, against Sharia: Taliban suspends chess in Afghanistan
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Kabul: In Taliban ruled Afghanistan, the armed group-led administration has banned chess across the territory over concerns that the game is a source of gambling. Gambling is illegal under the government’s morality law, Agence France-Presse reported, citing a sports official of the Taliban on Sunday.
Since seizing power of the nation in 2021, the Taliban has imposed laws and regulations in Afghanistan in line with hardline Islamic law.
Taliban’s sports directorate spokesperson Atal Mashwani told AFP that chess in Sharia or Islamic law is considered a means of gambling and gambling is prohibited according to the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice law. There are religious considerations regarding the sport of chess, he added. According to him, until the said considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in the country.
He further said that the nation's chess federation had not held any official events for nearly two years, since there were issues with its leadership.
Meanwhile, a café owner in Kabul, Azizullah Gulzada, denied that there was any gambling taking place in Kabul, adding that chess has been played in other Muslim-majority countries. Gulzada’s café used to host informal chess competitions in recent years, AFP reports. He told AFP that many Islamic countries have players on an international level.
Though he says that he respects the decision, he added that it would hurt his business as well as those who enjoyed the game. According to him, young people don't have a lot of activities these days, and so many of them used to visit his café for the game. They would have a cup of tea and challenge their friends to a game, he said in dismay.
In recent years, the Taliban dispensation in the country has restricted other sports and completely barred women from participating in any sports. Claiming that free fighting, such as mixed martial arts (MMA) in professional competition, is too violent and against the Sharia, the Taliban administration had banned it too last year.
