# Top Religious Leader of Saudi Arabia bans Chess **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 22, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892 "2016-01-22T18:04:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nani)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/21 "2016-01-22T23:21:38Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > I didn’t seeing anything in the OP to support this. Is this based on some previous context I’m unaware of? The OP is a typical and cliched example of “dumb liberal sheeple, when are you going to stop making excuses and see what Islam _really_ is? Probably never lol smh” The OP’s faulty reading that the cleric’s words had banned chess makes this stupid. The OP’s idea that Muslims and people who don’t want to treat Muslims like crap wouldn’t condemn this cleric makes it prejudiced. The willingness to see the cleric’s words as representative of “true Islam” makes it bigoted. The tone of the OP in light of all this indicates asshole. 4/4 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/22 "2016-01-22T23:29:35Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > By the way, who (if anyone) is qualified to say if someone is a “true” Muslim and by what (if any) metric? The Scots! Duh! ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/23 "2016-01-22T23:56:50Z")
King Abdullah did a fair bit of reform work during his reign, but he wasn’t able to do as much as he wanted. I have no idea of Salman is continuing that or not. Wikipedia says that he’s conservative. ---
**Author:** ![Hooleehootoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eada6e/32.png) [@Hooleehootoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hooleehootoo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/24 "2016-01-23T00:26:07Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > … you are a stupid prejudcied bigot asshole. Let’s start with stupid and work our way through the others. The man is the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia. Do you consider this office to be a Muslim religious office, A “Salafist-religion” office, office of some other religion, or a non-religious office? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/25 "2016-01-23T00:36:58Z")
Saudi Arabia entered a team in the 2014 Chess Olympiad. They came 157th. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/26 "2016-01-23T00:41:55Z")
We can start with the bigot assholes being the bigot assholes. A Saudi royal government paid wahhabite idiot is a paid wahhabite idiot. There are no priests in the islam and your stupid bigot asshole demarche is well identified by ñañi Fuck off bigot asshole. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/27 "2016-01-23T02:02:50Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > By the way, who (if anyone) is qualified to say if someone is a “true” Muslim and by what (if any) metric? If you hold one up to the light at the right angle, you should see the watermark. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/28 "2016-01-23T02:58:16Z")
Since the Arab leaders are not minding that ruling it is then [Arabian Mate](http://www.chesstactics.org/index.php?Type=page&Action=none&From=6,2,9,1)to the fatwa: …a. b. c. d. e… f. g. h 8 ║♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ ♚ 7 ║:diamonds: ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♖ 6 ║♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ ♘ ♢ ♦ 5 ║:diamonds: ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ ♔ ♢ 4 ║♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ 3 ║:diamonds: ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ 2 ║♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ 1 ║:diamonds: ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ ♦ ♢ Your move, Grand [del]Moff Tarkin[/del] Mufti Sheikh… Oh that is right, you can not make any. 🙂 and that is because the leaders are not pay attention to that fatwa. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/29 "2016-01-23T03:17:12Z")
I’m thinking that the mufti’s five-year-old nephew kicked his ass with a Fool’s Mate. You know how annoying that can be. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/30 "2016-01-23T03:34:48Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > By the way, who (if anyone) is qualified to say if someone is a “true” Muslim and by what (if any) metric? Prophets? See [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=775600). I think it is a good test, but there wasn’t a consensus. In any case, anti-chess guy appears to be well within this standard. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/31 "2016-01-23T03:52:44Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > There are no priests in the islam Bullshit. Imams and Muftis perform exactly the same role as a priest does in other religions. They are religious leaders, they give sermons and they advise people on what is proper Islamic conduct (in their interpretation). If it quacks like a duck… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/32 "2016-01-23T06:55:32Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > Bullshit. Imams and Muftis perform exactly the same role as a priest does in other religions. They are religious leaders, they give sermons and they advise people on what is proper Islamic conduct (in their interpretation). > > If it quacks like a duck… Out of curiosity, do you think that Rabbis are exactly like priests, too? ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/33 "2016-01-23T07:15:05Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Out of curiosity, do you think that Rabbis are exactly like priests, too? I never said “exactly” like Priests, don’t put words in my mouth. Islam has religious leaders who perform various functions. It doesn’t matter that there is no ordination ritual, in english we don’t have another word thats more accurate for a religious leader so Priest will do. There are other religions which don’t have ordination rituals who have Priests, eg various schools of Hinduism, various wiccan traditions. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/34 "2016-01-23T07:42:55Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > \*\*Top Religious Leader of Saudi Arabia bans Chess > > \*\*This calls for a Kevin Bacon chess paying rebel movie! Theme music is Rock the Chessboard by the Clash. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/35 "2016-01-23T08:58:37Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > I never said “exactly” like Priests, don’t put words in my mouth. Islam has religious leaders who perform various functions. It doesn’t matter that there is no ordination ritual, in english we don’t have another word thats more accurate for a religious leader so Priest will do. There are other religions which don’t have ordination rituals who have Priests, eg various schools of Hinduism, various wiccan traditions. You really should try knowing what you’re talking about before spewing nonsense. English really does have words for the non-priestly leaders in Islam. It’s an article of faith in Islam to not have priests. The imams and other leaders are not priests, but rather, like rabbis, are learned in the law. Priests are those who have special powers within the religion, such as being authorized to perform certain rites such as baptism in Christianity. Islam does not have that position. Here are a couple of those words for you: _Imam_, _Grand Mufti_. For Hinduism, the term for priest is either _pujari_ or _archaka_. It’s rather amusing to me to see you assert that Hinduism doesn’t have priests when an entire caste is considered the “priestly caste”. Seriously, coremelt; have you ever posted anything other than nonsense on this site? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/36 "2016-01-23T09:09:15Z")
Forgot to mention Wicca. ISTR there being covens who have priests, priestesses, high priests, and high priestesses. Odd for them to use those terms for not having the positions, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/37 "2016-01-23T09:18:27Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Forgot to mention Wicca. ISTR there being covens who have priests, priestesses, high priests, and high priestesses. Odd for them to use those terms for not having the positions, huh? yeah well I seem to recall that Procter and Gamble had Count Chocula, Franken Berry AND Boo Berry… and Fruit Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/38 "2016-01-23T09:57:59Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > Bullshit. Imams and Muftis perform exactly the same role as a priest does in other religions. The bullshit is in a person too stupid to know the difference between preaching and priesthood. there is no priesthood and even the idea of any formal religious positions is the odd hoc creation of the various secular empires and governments seeking control. In the religion, the imam is someone the rest of the congregation thinks can lead the prayer well. That is all. Tomorrow if the mosque decides that Mustapha the teacher is too annoying now as Imam, we can appoint Abdallah the butcher, right out of the congregation if everyone agrees (or by whatever internal rule we have). A mufti is a name for someone who like a rabbi is considered learned in the religious teachings. the only rules are those imposed by the secular state itself as nothing in the religion establishes there are no ordinations, nothing priestly, no role like a priest. preachers and scholars, not priests. > [@](#): > > If it quacks like a duck… Too a deaf idiot who never understood that the parrot and the duck are indeed both birds but make different sounds and do different things. > [@coremelt](#): > > , in english we don’t have another word thats more accurate for a religious leader so Priest will do. I seem to know your langauge better than you - although with your record of stupid wrong-headed not factual assertions this is not a surprise. The word is PREACHER. > [@Monty](#): > > Seriously, coremelt; have you ever posted anything other than nonsense on this site? anyone can get something right by accident > [@Miller](#): > > Out of curiosity, do you think that Rabbis are exactly like priests, too? Probably he does. > [@Robert163](#): > > yeah well I seem to recall that Procter and Gamble had Count Chocula, Franken Berry AND Boo Berry… and Fruit Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy Just shut up, you are not clever, and you are boring and annoying as well as a perfect example of a dull person who thinks to be smart. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/39 "2016-01-23T10:02:06Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Completely off the wall speculation here, but could this have anything to do with the growing hostility between the Saudis and Iran? I know the deep roots of chess are in India, but the game took form and spread from Persia. Could this be an anti-Persian thing? No. Chess was banned in Iran for a while, as well (after the revolution), but as far as I know Khomeini allowed it again. Let’s see if I can find a quick link: [Chess forbidden in Islam, rules Saudi mufti, but issue not black and white | Islam | The Guardian](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/21/chess-forbidden-in-islam-rules-saudi-arabia-grand-mufti) ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892/40 "2016-01-23T10:08:52Z")
And a better article than the dumb New York Times article - [The Guardian notes](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/21/chess-forbidden-in-islam-rules-saudi-arabia-grand-mufti) that the opinion was in all appearances even just single advisory (a stupid, single advisory) > [@](#): > > Muslim scholars tend to place chess, a skill-based game, in a different category from games of chance, such as dice, but frown upon it if it distracts a person from performing the five daily prayers. Placing bets under any circumstances is forbidden. What this should say is the conservative scholars, but these people do not like people doing anything but praying all day - their attitudes are like the Haredim. > [@](#): > > It is unlikely that Sheikh’s ruling will be enforced, and more plausible that chess will be relegated to the status of other minor vices, such as music, which many in the clerical establishment frown upon. Moreover, since the ruling was in response to a specific question, it was probably meant as an advisory opinion rather than a formal edict. A stupid advisory opinion but it is not any news that the Wahhabi religious fraction hate any joyful and fun things, they have the TV, they hate the movies, they hate basically everything but their stupid selves. So the rest of us make fun of them. If not for their oil they would still be the despised uncultured bedouin hicks before the English helped the Ibn Saud and the Wahhabis take the Arabia from Sharif Hussien and the Ottomans. We can all be thankful that the short-term Great Power calculations gave us this gift. So many lessons were learned about short term calculations… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-religious-leader-of-saudi-arabia-bans-chess/743892.md?page=3)