Taliban bans chess over religious concerns
KABUL, May 12: The Taliban has banned chess in Afghanistan due to religious concerns, marking a continuation of its opposition to various forms of entertainment and sports.
The decision was made due to “religious considerations” and restrictions announced by the Taliban’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
Chess-related activities will remain on hold indefinitely in Afghanistan until suitable responses are found regarding religious concerns.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has also dissolved the Afghanistan Chess Federation, stating that the game is “haram” (forbidden) as per Islamic law interpretation.
The ban follows a growing trend of restrictions imposed by the Taliban on cultural, social, and sporting events in Afghanistan since it seized power.
Before the announcement, several chess players and enthusiasts reportedly requested permission and financial support from the Taliban-led Ministry of Sports to continue their activities.
The Taliban’s recent stance, citing Islamic legal interpretations, demonstrated their broader strategy to restrict cultural and recreational activities in Afghanistan.
The ban on playing chess demonstrates the Taliban’s increasing restrictions on freedoms in Afghanistan. The Taliban has also imposed several restrictions on women in Afghanistan, with it remaining to be seen how long these policies will last or whether the international community will pressurize the Taliban to reverse their decisions. (ANI)
Museum opens at site of Schindler’s heroic rescue
BRNENEC (Czech Republic), May 12: The Museum of Survivors, a museum in Brnenec, Czech Republic, is returning to life after being stolen by the Nazis from its Jewish owners in 1938.
The site, a former textile factory, was turned into a concentration camp and opened to visitors on the 80th anniversary of World War II.
Schindler’s story was told in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning movie, Schindler’s List. Daniel Low-Beer, a driving force behind the project, aims to bring back the history of Schindler and the village.
The museum, housed in part of a renovated spinning mill, displays the history of Schindler, his wife Emilie, the Low-Beer family, and others linked to the area, along with the testimonies of Holocaust survivors.
It includes a space for exhibitions, lectures, film screenings, concerts, and a cafe.
A transparent glass wall separates the present and history, and the museum aims to be a universal place of survivors.
In 2019, Low-Beer set up the Arks Foundation to buy the warehouse and turn it into a museum, investing money and renewing a partnership with the local community.
The regional government contributed funds, while a grant from the European Union brought children from five European countries to Brnenec to come up with ideas that helped shape the museum design.
The official opening on the weekend completed the first step, but much remains to be done.
The remaining buildings are still waiting to be fully restored, including Schindler’s office, the barracks of the SS troops, and the entire building of Schindler’s Ark where the Jewish prisoners lived and worked.
The museum is not open daily and focuses on education activities for schools.
Schindler, an unlikely hero, was born in Svitavy, Czechoslovakia, with a German-speaking majority and a substantial Jewish population. He was known for his contradictions, including being a troublemaker, womanizer, spy for the Germans, and a Nazi. (AP)