Sports Desk: The Taliban government has banned chess indefinitely in Afghanistan. They claim that chess is considered a means of gambling under Islamic Sharia law, making it ‘immoral’ and ‘illegal.’
Ataullah Mashwani, a spokesman for the country’s sports department, told AFP that chess is considered gambling under Sharia law. Therefore, it is prohibited under the Law on the Order of Good Deeds and the Prevention of Dishonesty. He said, ‘Until a clear explanation and decision is made on this issue from a religious perspective, the ban on chess will remain in place.’
Since seizing power through bloodshed in 2021, the Taliban government has been implementing strict Islamic law across the country. As a result, women’s opportunities for sports and education have been closed. Women are not even able to take nursing education.
According to Afghan sports authorities, the national chess federation has not organized any competitions for the past two years. That is, all official chess events were closed.
However, some informal chess competitions have been held in a cafe in Kabul in recent years. Azizullah Gulzada, the owner of the cafe, claims that chess is not a game of gambling. According to him, chess is played in many Muslim-majority countries, where it is not seen as contrary to Islamic rules.
The ban has sparked controversy across the country. Especially among the educated and young, it is seen as an example of suppressing a medium of thought through misinterpretation of religion.
