If I recall, chess was outlawed in Iran by the Ayatollah Khomenei, shortly after he came to power. Iran's sole GM had to go into hiding and flee the country.
I remember reading that the justification was that chess encouraged warlike thoughts, which of course we couldn't have. Not in a country which, during the war with Iraq, used kids to clear minefields - the hard way.
Xanthos your arguments are pathetic. So the dictatorial enforcement of Islamic religion on everyone is somehow no worse than the US having "In God We Trust" on it's coins? That's like saying Hitler wasn't such a bad guy for the holocaust because the US has a death penalty for murderers. Try to make a little more sense from now on..you argue and reason like a teenager.
Originally posted by Dodger11And you argue like an ad hominem factory. But in two years, XanthosNZ won't be a teenager, and you'll still be a fallacious arguer.
Xanthos your arguments are pathetic. So the dictatorial enforcement of Islamic religion on everyone is somehow no worse than the US having "In God We Trust" on it's coins? That's like saying Hitler wasn't such a bad guy for the holocaust because the US has a death penalty for murderers. Try to make a little more sense from now on..you argue and reason like a teenager.
Originally posted by Dodger11Point me to the part where I claim the US is just as bad as the Iraqi Shias.
Xanthos your arguments are pathetic. So the dictatorial enforcement of Islamic religion on everyone is somehow no worse than the US having "In God We Trust" on it's coins? That's like saying Hitler wasn't such a bad guy for the holocaust because the US has a death penalty for murderers. Try to make a little more sense from now on..you argue and reason like a teenager.
They aren't. What I remember claiming is that the US is far from perfect in this regard.
And how is it exactly a 'teenager' argues and reasons? Is it using personal insults and bad language? Well then should I point out that in this thread alone you've already had a post deleted for those very things whereas I haven't.
Originally posted by PawnokeyholePlease provide a link saying that Sistani believes that chess playing WILL be banned by the government of Iraq. The link that was provided (and others notably the article on MSN "What Sistani wants"😉 say that Sistani objects to chess on religious grounds, but do not state that he favors a country wide ban. I provided a link in the chess forum to an Iranian website which is linked to the Iranian Chess Federation, so the statement made by another person that chess is banned in Iran is simply not true. The Bible says that fortunetellers should be put to death, but I missed the mass burnings of people who write astrology columns.
I read in today's Observer that the Grand Ayatollah Sistani, leader of the Iraqi Shias, will be outlawing the playing of chess in Iraq, on religious grounds (though not, it seems, the playing of cricket.)
Sistani's justification f ...[text shortened]... ani better things to ban in the name of spirituality and goodness?
This whole thread is just another example of the anti-Islam hysteria that seems so prevalent among many Westerners.
Who gives a crap? If you do, grow some skin. Religion is a part of US history and both will and should influence our culture, including the printing of money. Anyones dislike of the religious connotations on the currency (or elsewhere) is not relevantly different than my disliking of warning labels written in spanish. Both will be around so long as they are relevant to a signifigant portion of the populace and people will simply have to (gasp!) cope with it.
I really hope we can get an answer on the chess ban. I don't know enough Islamic theology to speculate and am very interested in hearing from someone who can!
EDIT: A lot of people posted while I was writing this and I shall have to visit some links now. 😀
Originally posted by Omnislash"In god we trust" was not printed on US currency until the Eisenhower administration. Was it that god was less relevant to pre-Eisenhower America, or was it that they had enough good sense to simply keep god out of that portion of the Federal government?
Who gives a crap? If you do, grow some skin. Religion is a part of US history and both will and should influence our culture, including the printing of money. Anyones dislike of the religious connotations on the currency (or elsewhere) is not relevantly different than my disliking of warning labels written in spanish. Both will be around so long as they ar ...[text shortened]... IT: A lot of people posted while I was writing this and I shall have to visit some links now. 😀
Originally posted by no1marauderI should have qualified my earlier post - chess is no longer banned in Iran. Its no longer banned, but was for a while after the Shah was deposed.
Please provide a link saying that Sistani believes that chess playing WILL be banned by the government of Iraq. The link that was provided (and others notably the article on MSN "What Sistani wants"😉 say that Sistani objects to chess on religious grounds, but do not state that he favors a country wide ban. I provided a link in the chess forum to a ...[text shortened]... s just another example of the anti-Islam hysteria that seems so prevalent among many Westerners.
See www.askasia.org/teachasia/chess.htm, for example
Originally posted by RedmikeI can confirm that chess is perfectly legal in Iran having played several games there.... Although, you had me worried for a moment that I may have been committing a mortal sin by doing so!!!
I should have qualified my earlier post - chess is no longer banned in Iran. Its no longer banned, but was for a while after the Shah was deposed.
See www.askasia.org/teachasia/chess.htm, for example
Originally posted by royalchickenI don't go to FW anymore, got the Sheeeee-ite hacked outta me (perpetual windows opening until my computer G-Locked)last time I was there. Anyway, I don't find you interesting enough to discuss anything with any further. Try not to impress people with a smattering of latin, though, chicken, it sounds pretentious on someone your age. I hope you don't try to impress girls like that. (Royalchicken at school):"Wellllll, hellllooooo, ladies, uhhhh, cogito ergo suck!" (Girls run away giggling and tell their boyfriends to beat up royalchicken more than usual)
Ah, maybe I shall exhibit some restraint on this one.
Dodger, if you'd like to continue this discussion, I suggest we do it at FW.
Originally posted by XanthosNZOK Xanthos, here's how a teenager argues and reasons:
Point me to the part where I claim the US is just as bad as the Iraqi Shias.
They aren't. What I remember claiming is that the US is far from perfect in this regard.
And how is it exactly a 'teenager' argues and reasons? Is it using personal insults and bad language? Well then should I point out that in this thread alone you've already had a post deleted for those very things whereas I haven't.
Guy A says Islamic theocracies are bad because of the barbaric human rights violations that result from governments controlled by religion.
Teenager: Durrhhhhhh, what about the evil US, they have In God We Trust on their money?
Guy A: That has nothing to do with the argument.
Teenager: Durhhhhhhhhh, I am teh winnar.