Crowds of Syrians have rallied to protest authorities’ efforts to limit the sale and consumption of alcohol in Damascus.
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Edward Waters Chi chapter of Omega Psi Phi celebrates 65th anniversary by giving away 60 gift baskets Read full article: Edward Waters Chi chapter of Omega Psi Phi celebrates 65th anniversary by giving away 60 gift basketsRead full article: Fire weather threat grows with warm and dry forecast this weekendProtesters hold signs during a demonstration against against new alcohol restrictions that limit sales largely to Christian areas in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, March 22, 2026. Protesters hold signs during a demonstration against new restrictions on alcohol sales in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, March 22, 2026. A man holds a sign reading in Arabic,"No to dividing Damascus neighborhoods along sectarian lines," during a demonstration against new restrictions limiting alcohol sales mainly to Christian neighborhoods in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, March 22, 2026. People demonstrate against new alcohol restrictions that limit sales largely to Christian areas in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, March 22, 2026.Protesters hold signs during a demonstration against against new alcohol restrictions that limit sales largely to Christian areas in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, March 22, 2026.– Crowds of Syrians rallied Sunday to protest authorities' efforts to limit the sale and consumption of alcohol in Damascus, reflecting rising anxiety in the cosmopolitan capital that Syria’s new Islamist government may threaten long-held secular freedoms. Hundreds of residents from a range of religious sects poured into a grassy square in Bab Touma, a Christian neighborhood in Damascus, chanting “Syrians are united!” and brandishing signs that urged the government to safeguard personal liberties and religious minorities.“This is not about whether we want to drink alcohol, this is about personal freedom,” said Isa Qazah, a 45-year-old sculptor from the area who joined the protest along the medieval stone lanes near Damascus' Old City."We have come here to defend an idea."The controversy erupted last week, when the governor of Damascus issued a decree banning"the provision of alcoholic beverages of all kinds in restaurants and nightclubs" across the capital. Within three months, it says, restaurants must have tossed out their wine lists and bar and club owners must have traded their licenses for cafe permits. The decision, which authorities said was made “at the request of the local community,” came as the interim government of former Islamist rebel and nowfaces growing pressure from hard-liners to impose more conservative religious values. Al-Sharaa has not publicly weighed in on the alcohol debate.in the way of civic or political freedoms. But they could drink alcohol, party at nightclubs and dress how they pleased.. He has so far tread lightly when it comes to imposing social restrictions. Yet Syria’s many religious and ethnic groupsStill, establishments in Bab Touma, al-Qassaa and Bab Sharqi can't serve booze on site, and shops in those three areas can sell alcohol only in sealed take-away bottles. Vendors also must keep at least 75 meters away from mosques and schools, and 20 meters away from police stations and government offices. Some said that in singling out Christians, authorities are framing them as responsible for what the decree describes as “violations of public morals." Although Islamic law prohibits the consumption of alcohol, Damascus is full of secular Muslims. “How our are neighborhoods are violating public etiquette? The division this creates is unfair and irresponsible,” said Fawaz Bahauddin Khawja, a Christian lawyer at the rally. “This is the real face of Damascus. The only flag we raise is the Syrian flag.” As criticism flared ahead of the protest, Damascus authorities issued a statement late Saturday apologizing to the city's Christian population “for any misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the decision." It also clarified that hotels will be spared the booze restrictions. “This decision does not interfere with citizens’ personal freedoms,” the statement read. “The regulation of alcohol sales exists in all countries, with differences in how it's applied and enforced.”Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 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Syrians protest alcohol restrictions in DamascusCrowds of Syrians have rallied to protest authorities’ efforts to limit the sale and consumption of alcohol in Damascus. Sunday's demonstration reflected rising anxiety in the cosmopolitan capital that Syria’s new Islamist government may threaten residents’ long-held secular freedoms.
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