When a caller phoned the religious program Fiqh al‑Mustafa on Iraq’s Al‑Forat TV to ask about the permissibility of playing dominoes with friends, the question appeared at first glance to concern a harmless pastime, not a national conversation.
The show’s guest, Shiite cleric Sayyid Rasheed Al‑Husseini, answered by declaring that playing dominoes is religiously forbidden, explicitly tying his answer to the jurisprudential opinion of Grand Ayatollah Ali al‑Sistani, the country’s most influential Shiite authority. On Sistani’s official site, dominoes are listed alongside other gambling‑type games that followers are instructed to avoid even when no money is involved, which provided the doctrinal basis for Al‑Husseini’s ruling.
From studio to social media storm
Once a short clip of the exchange was uploaded to social platforms, the ruling immediately left the confines of the studio and entered Iraq’s highly politicised and emotionally charged online space. A Facebook post by ZoomIn Iraq quoting Al‑Husseini’s statement and mentioning Sistani’s name drew hundreds of reactions and comments, while the same segment resurfaced on YouTube and Instagram with users adding their own captions and interpretations. In the comment threads, some users defended the cleric and insisted that faithful Iraqis must abide by Sistani’s instructions, while others reacted with sarcasm, fatigue and open criticism, questioning why religious authorities focus on games at a time of economic, social and security crises. The available evidence suggests a heated, though not fully quantifiable, debate in which clerical authority and everyday leisure practices collided in publicly visible ways.
Soft pressure, not hard law
No publicly reported legal change or formal enforcement action has been linked to this fatwa so far, yet the absence of a state response does not mean the ruling is inconsequential. In a context where Sistani’s religious authority carries significant weight, a televised statement that labels a popular game as forbidden can stigmatise those who continue to play, particularly in conservative provinces, neighbourhoods or family environments. The case illustrates how religious guidance, when broadcast and amplified online, can operate as a form of soft pressure that discourages certain cultural and recreational activities without any formal ban, blurring the line between personal piety and social regulation.
Revealing snapshot on moral authority
The dominoes controversy offers a revealing snapshot of how moral authority is negotiated in contemporary Iraq. The online backlash, even if driven by a self‑selecting group of users, points to growing resistance to strict interpretations among segments of the population who see such rulings as disconnected from their daily realities and from their need for safe, harmless forms of leisure. At the same time, the strong support expressed by others shows that religiously grounded claims over culture remain deeply embedded and socially legitimate for many Iraqis.
Researchers should continue to track whether such rulings remain symbolic, or whether they translate into informal sanctions, social exclusion or local restrictions on games, cafés or mixed‑gender gatherings, where artistic and cultural expression often takes place at the margins of formal institutions.
When a caller asked a Shiite cleric on Al‑Forat TV if playing dominoes with friends was allowed, the answer ignited a national debate.
Citing Grand Ayatollah Ali al‑Sistani, the cleric ruled the game forbidden, framing it as a gambling‑type practice. Once the clip hit Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, Iraqis clashed online over who gets to regulate everyday leisure, and how far religious authority should reach into personal freedoms.
References:
Official website of Grand Ayatollah Ali al‑Sistani, “Games – Question & Answer,” including guidance on gambling‑type games such as dominoes and card games.[sistani]
YouTube clip of Al‑Forat TV segment: “متصل: حكم لعب الدومنة على رأي سماحة السيد علي السيستاني دام ظله ؟ | السيد رشيد الحسيني,” containing the call‑in question and Sayyid Rasheed Al‑Husseini’s response.[sistani]
Facebook post by ZoomIn Iraq quoting Rasheed Al‑Husseini’s statement that dominoes are religiously forbidden according to Sistani, including public reactions and comment thread discussion.[reddit]
Additional Facebook post and Instagram post sharing and commenting on the same clip and fatwa, providing further examples of audience reactions and framing on social media.[reddit]
