Damascus authorities ban alcohol sales in non-Christian areas
Authorities in the Syrian capital Damascus have announced a city-wide ban on alcohol with the exception of a number of Christian neighbourhoods.
In an announcement issued on Monday, the city of Damascus announced that "the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in restaurants and nightclubs throughout the city".
It cited "numerous" complaints and requests from locals and said the new ban was aimed at "eliminating practices contrary to public morals".
It added that the sale of alcohol would be permitted in the Christian neighbourhoods of Bab Touma, Qassaa, and Bab Sharqi, and then only in establishments specifically designated for the purpose by a commercial building permit and only "sealed" for takeaway.
Any businesses still selling alcohol must also be located at least 75 metres from mosques, churches, schools, and cemeteries, and at least 20 metres from police stations and administrative buildings.
They have three months to comply with the new regulations.
Since overthrowing Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa – whose now liquidated group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham was a former al-Qaeda affiliate – has largely refrained from imposing social restrictions on the population.
However, a number of recent announcements, including a January ban on female public sector employees wearing make-up and mandatory full-body swimsuits on public beaches last year, have raised concerns that this could be changing.
Although the majority of Syria is composed of conservative Sunni Muslims who largely refrain from drinking alcohol for religious reasons, many secular Sunnis and other religious and ethnic minorities see an alcohol ban as a threat to civil liberties.
Some also criticised the exemptions made for Christian neighbourhoods as entrenching a sectarian approach to the city's communities.
"The decision effectively segregates between Muslims and Christians. It implies that Christians should stay in their areas and Muslims in theirs," wrote Syrian analyst Jihad Yazigi on X.
"Even during the late Ottoman period, this type of segregation was starting to disappear."
Post-Assad tensions
The transitional government has struggled to contain unrest and violence at home, attacks by Israel, and managing relations with erstwhile allies and enemies.
In October, the government held parliamentary elections in which Sharaa hand-picked a third of the seats, while the remaining two-thirds were chosen by local committees made up of government appointees.
The process bypassed the Druze-majority Sweida province and the country's Kurdish-held northeast with their 32 seats remaining empty.
According to a temporary constitution announced in March, the parliament will exercise legislative functions until a permanent constitution is adopted and new elections can be held at the end of a five-year transitional process.
The new interim authorities say popular elections are unworkable in the wake of Syria's 13-year war, which saw hundreds of thousands killed and millions displaced both internally and externally.
But the selection process dismayed many Syrian pro-democracy campaigners who had hoped for change after the ousting of Assad.
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
Read Full Article on Middle East Eye →