- Title: IRAN: Iranians continue horse betting despite religious and legal restrictions
- Date: 31st October 2011
- Summary: MEN WITH WINNING BIDS CHEERING MEN WITH LOSING BIDS HAVING DISCUSSION (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) HEAD OF TEHRAN'S RACING COMMITTEE EBRAHIM MOHAMMAD-ZADEH, SAYING: "In Islam betting is legal in three areas; horse-races, swimming and archery. More than ten years ago -- based on the Sharia law which exists in Islam -- we appealed to the Seminary of Qom to hold discussions with Ayatollah Golpayegani and Ayatollah Lankarani and managed to obtain a religious decree, and with certain conditions we are now able to bet on horses." MEN POSING WITH WINNING HORSE SUN SHINING ON RACE TRACK TEHRAN, IRAN (RECENT) (REUTERS - NO ACCESS BBC PERSIAN TV/ VOA PERSIAN NEWS NETWORK (RESTRICTION IMPOSED LOCALLY BY IRANIAN AUTHORITIES) VARIOUS OF MOSQUE (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRANIAN CLERIC, MOHSEN MAHMOUDI, SAYING: "Gambling is generally 'Haram' in Islam, with the exception of horse racing and archery, and if (the betting takes place) between the Jockeys, who can bet amongst themselves and have a prize at stake." VARIOUS OF MOSQUE
- Embargoed: 15th November 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Country: Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Topics: Politics,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA6VIE50S34PZHKK8Z5ECOV89ND
- Story Text: Tempted by the promise of profitable returns, hundreds of gambling enthusiasts queue outside betting kiosks in the midday sun at the Norooz Abad Race Complex.
The Southern Tehran track hosts ten weeks of races each year, attracting thousands of horse lovers and betting aficionados alike.
Huddling around lists of horse options with western-inspired names such as Commander, Secretariat, and Rio Collection, the men eagerly hedge their bets.
Although there are only dozens of women at the complex, they too fancy their chances against the odds.
"There are ten weeks of (races) annually. So when the races are on, we come (here), and we put small bets on and sometimes -- on the odd occasion -- we win," said 15 year-old Shahrbanou Nezammafim, whose family are in the horse breeding business.
Many place their bids off the race-track, a regular Norooz Abad spectator told Reuters television.
"The bets that are up to 100,000-200,000 toman (about USD 94-187) take place at these kiosks. The ones exceeding 1 million toman (about USD 937) happen mainly from hand to hand, and these bets have already been placed, even since yesterday or this morning. Very little betting takes place at the races themselves," said real-estate employee, 30 year-old Seyyed Mohammad Reza Hosseini.
On-line betting hasn't yet caught on in Iran on a large scale, but a handful do place bets on the horses through the country's horse-racing federation website.
Tension builds in Norooz Abad as the horses are paraded in front of the spectators and the jockeys draw names out of a hat.
As the starting whistle is blown, there is a race to the front rails. The spectators shout and punch the air with their fists, and with animated faces, each person cheers along the horse they've placed a bet on.
It is difficult to believe that scenes like this are taking place inside the Islamic state, where, under Sharia Muslim religious law, gambling is forbidden and regarded as a "great sin".
To make it possible for spectators to bet, Iran's horse racing federation has managed to receive special permission from religious figures and senior clerics known as "Sources of Emulation" to whom Shi'ite Muslims turn for guidance on moral issues.
This doesn't mean the southern Tehran race complex has never faced problems with the authorities.
"Thankfully the officials of horse races and the committee of the races are pursuing this under the management of the federation officials to resolve this," said the Norooz Abad assistant manager, commenting on the several near-closures they have had as the authorities have questioned the gambling aspect of the races.
The head of Tehran's racing committee Ebrahim Mohammad-Zadeh said: "In Islam betting is legal in three areas; horse-races, swimming and archery. More than ten years ago -- based on the Sharia law which exists in Islam -- we appealed to the Seminary of Qom to hold discussions with Ayatollah Golpayegani and Ayatollah Lankarani and managed to obtain a religious decree, and with certain conditions we are now able to bet on horses."
According to some clerics in Iran, gambling is allowed in some cases including horse racing.
"gambling is generally 'haram' in Islam, with the exception of horse racing and archery, and if (the betting takes place) between the Jockeys, they can bet amongst themselves and have a prize at stake," Mohammad-Zadeh, a cleric from Tehran, told Reuters.
The way it works in Norooz Abad is that jockeys -- who are allowed to bet according to such interpretations of Muslim religious law -- authorise the horse racing committee to place bets from other people people on their behalf. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None