Taliban suspends chess in Afghanistan, cites religious concerns over gambling

[Eugene]

Source: France24 with AFP

Taliban suspends chess in Afghanistan, cites religious concerns over gambling

Issued on: 11/05/2025 - 17:37
1 min
By: FRANCE 24/FRANCE 24

The Taliban government has suspended the game of chess across Afghanistan, citing its potential association with gambling, prohibited under the country’s morality laws. The decision, announced by a sports official on Sunday, reflects the administration's ongoing enforcement of its austere interpretation of Islamic law since seizing power in 2021.

Taliban authorities have barred chess across Afghanistan until further notice over concerns it is a source of gambling, which is illegal under the government's morality law, a sports official said on Sunday.

The Taliban government has steadily imposed laws and regulations that reflect its austere vision of Islamic law since seizing power in 2021.

"Chess in sharia (Islamic law) is considered a means of gambling", which is prohibited according to the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice law announced last year, sports directorate spokesperson Atal Mashwani told AFP.

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Read more: https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250511-taliban-suspends-chess-afghanistan-cites-religious-concerns-gambling

[lastlib]

1. Giving me another reason to hate these filthy whack-job basturds.

JEEE-zus Henry Christ.

Well, fugg-em. We don't need them at the boards anyway.

[questionseverything]

2. Good, maybe a few men will start waking up as their lives are disrupted