The Taliban banned chess in Afghanistan due to "religious considerations"
Kyiv • UNN
The Taliban's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has officially declared playing chess haram (a sin). The Afghanistan Chess Federation has also been officially liquidated.
The Taliban Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has officially declared chess a forbidden game, citing "religious considerations." The Afghan Chess Federation has also officially ceased to exist. This is reported by Zamin, reports UNN.
Details
It is noted that the Taliban Ministry has declared chess haram (a sin).
Representatives of the Afghan chess community tried to appeal this decision. In particular, on May 9, they appealed to the Department of Sports with a request to allow the continuation of chess clubs and the organization of tournaments. However, in response, they were informed that there is an emir's decree prohibiting chess and depriving the federation of its legal status.
According to representatives of the Chess Federation, the organization's activities have been effectively suspended since 2021, when the Taliban took control of the country, Amu TV reports.
We are at serious risk of completely losing chess from the country's sports scene.
In addition, the Chess Federation appealed to the media to draw attention to athletes who find themselves in uncertainty and many of whom fear for the future of one of the world's most enduring intellectual sports.
Recall
The Afghan Ministry of Virtue has banned women from reading the Koran aloud and communicating with others. The authorities are also gradually banning the use of images of living beings in the media.