Syrian authorities' new limits on alcohol sales in Damascus spark backlash

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Crowds of Syrians rallied Sunday to protestation authorities' efforts to bounds the merchantability and depletion of intoxicant successful Damascus, reflecting rising anxiousness successful the cosmopolitan superior that Syria’s caller Islamist authorities whitethorn endanger long-held secular freedoms.

Hundreds of residents from a scope of spiritual sects poured into a grassy quadrate successful Bab Touma, a Christian vicinity successful Damascus, chanting “Syrians are united!” and brandishing signs that urged the authorities to safeguard idiosyncratic liberties and spiritual minorities.

“This is not astir whether we privation to portion alcohol, this is astir idiosyncratic freedom,” said Isa Qazah, a 45-year-old sculptor from the country who joined the protestation on the medieval chromatic lanes adjacent Damascus' Old City. "We person travel present to support an idea."

Heavily equipped information forces surrounded the protesters. The objection passed without incident.

The contention erupted past week, erstwhile the politician of Damascus issued a decree banning "the proviso of alcoholic beverages of each kinds successful restaurants and nightclubs" crossed the capital. Within 3 months, it says, restaurants indispensable person tossed retired their vino lists and barroom and nine owners indispensable person traded their licenses for cafe permits.

The decision, which authorities said was made “at the petition of the section community,” came arsenic the interim authorities of erstwhile Islamist rebel and present President Ahmed al-Sharaa faces increasing unit from hard-liners to enforce much blimpish spiritual values. Al-Sharaa has not publically weighed successful connected the intoxicant debate.

More than a twelvemonth aft his question ousted erstwhile President Bashar Assad, Syria is inactive reeling from 14 years of civilian warfare and 5 decades of dictatorship arsenic it struggles to specify its future.

A subordinate of the Alawite spiritual minority, Assad espoused a secular ideology to clasp the enactment of chap minorities successful the Sunni-majority nation. Under his household dynasty, Syrians had small successful the mode of civic oregon governmental freedoms. But they could portion alcohol, enactment astatine nightclubs and formal however they pleased.

After being named the interim president, al-Sharaa vowed to unite the state and respect pluralism. He has truthful acold tread lightly erstwhile it comes to imposing societal restrictions. Yet Syria’s galore spiritual and taste groups stay connected edge.

Sectarian attacks by pro-government Sunni fighters person killed hundreds of Alawites and Druze implicit the past year.

Concerns implicit caller violence

Protesters connected Sunday said they feared the latest intoxicant restrictions could further substance those tensions, arsenic the decree allows intoxicant to beryllium sold successful 3 predominantly Christian neighborhoods.

Still, establishments successful Bab Touma, al-Qassaa and Bab Sharqi can't service booze connected site, and shops successful those 3 areas tin merchantability intoxicant lone successful sealed take-away bottles. Vendors besides indispensable support astatine slightest 75 meters (246 feet) distant from mosques and schools, and 20 meters (65 feet) distant from constabulary stations and authorities offices.

Some said that successful singling retired Christians, authorities are framing them arsenic liable for what the decree describes arsenic “violations of nationalist morals." Although Islamic instrumentality prohibits the depletion of alcohol, Damascus is afloat of secular Muslims.

“How our are neighborhoods are violating nationalist etiquette? The part this creates is unfair and irresponsible,” said Fawaz Bahauddin Khawja, a Christian lawyer astatine the rally. “This is the existent look of Damascus. The lone emblem we rise is the Syrian flag.”

As disapproval flared up of the protest, Damascus authorities issued a connection precocious Saturday apologizing to the city's Christian colonisation “for immoderate misunderstanding oregon misinterpretation of the decision." It besides clarified that hotels volition beryllium spared the booze restrictions.

“This determination does not interfere with citizens’ idiosyncratic freedoms,” the connection read. “The regularisation of intoxicant income exists successful each countries, with differences successful however it's applied and enforced.”

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Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre successful Beirut contributed to this report.

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