タリバン政権、賭博を理由にチェス禁止 アフガニスタン

【カブールＡＦＰ＝時事】アフガニスタンのイスラム主義組織タリバンによる暫定政権は、チェスが賭博の温床になっているとの懸念から、当面の間、国内でのプレーを禁止すると発表した。（写真はチェスの大会で駒を動かす参加者。アフガニスタン南部カンダハルにて）
　スポーツ総局の報道官は１１日、ＡＦＰに対し「シャリア（イスラム法）ではチェスはギャンブルの手段と見なされる」と述べ、昨年施行された「美徳の促進と悪徳の防止に関する法律」に基づいて禁止措置が取られていると説明した。
　さらに「チェスという競技には、宗教的観点から見て問題となる点がある」と述べ、それらが解消されるまで「アフガニスタンにおいてチェスは一時的に禁止される」と語った。
　タリバンは２０２１年の政権復帰以降、厳格なイスラム法に基づく規制を次々と導入しており、この道徳法の下では賭博行為が禁じられている。
　首都カブールでカフェを営み、近年は非公式のチェス大会を開催してきたアジズラ・グルザダ氏は、実際には賭博など行われていないと反論。「多くのイスラム諸国には国際レベルのチェスプレイヤーが存在する」とＡＦＰに語った。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2025/05/12-18:08）

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.
There are religious considerations regarding the sport of chess, he said.
Until these considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in Afghanistan, he added.
Mashwani said the national chess federation had not held any official events for around two years and had some issues on the leadership level.
Azizullah Gulzada owns a cafe in Kabul that has hosted informal chess competitions in recent years, but denied any gambling took place and noted chess was played in other Muslim-majority countries.
Many other Islamic countries have players on an international level, he told AFP.
He said he would respect the suspension but that it would hurt his business and those who enjoyed the game.
Young people don't have a lot of activities these days, so many came here everyday, he told AFP.
They would have a cup of tea and challenge their friends to a game of chess.
Afghanistan's authorities have restricted other sports in recent years and women have been essentially barred from participating in sport altogether in the country.
Last year, the authorities banned free fighting such as mixed martial arts (MMA) in professional competition, saying it was too violent and problematic with respect to sharia.