Source: French to English Tester Published on: 2026-04-01
Source: The Conversation – in French– By Imad Khillo, Lecturer in Public Law at Sciences Po Grenoble / Grenoble Alpes University. Researcher at the Center for Studies and Research on Diplomacy, Public Administration, and Politics (CERDAP²). Co-director of the research seminar “National Construction and Religions in the Mediterranean” at the Collège des Bernardins, Sciences Po Grenoble – Grenoble Alpes University
The authorities in Damascus have banned the consumption of alcohol in public spaces, in the name of a very conservative vision of Islam. However, the measure allows sales in three neighborhoods where Christians live, which tends to further single out this minority. Beyond that, the objective of the Al-Charaa government is to impose an additional tightening of control over public space.
Since the establishment of Ahmad Al-Charaa’s new regime in Damascus on December 8, 2024, there has been a growing willingness of the authorities in Syria to regulate behavior in public spaces.
In this context, the issue of alcohol consumption, far from being incidental, appears as a revealing indicator of the ongoing transformations. It fits into a broader dynamic marked by a strengthening of social control, increased mobilization of the religious register, and a reconfiguration of relations between communities, notably with regard to Christian populations.
An alcohol restriction policy will be implemented starting March 2026
On March 16, 2026, theGovernorate of Damascus promulgated regulation No. 311/MT, whichprohibits the consumption of alcoholin all bars, restaurants, and public spaces of this governorate, which is composed solely of the capital of the country (there are no other similar regulations in other cities for the moment). Presentedas a response to local expectations(notably following repeated complaints from residents regarding sales to minors) and as a means to preserve “good morals,” this measure was justified by the authorities, in aargumentation taken up and disseminated by the official agency SANA (Syrian Arab News Agency), as an enhancement of Legislative Decree No. 180 of March 23, 1952, which already prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol in Muslim areas.
From now on, thesale of alcohol is limited to three specific neighborhoodsAt: Bab Sharqi, Bab Touma, and Qassa, and only in the form of sealed bottles, with no possibility of consumption on site. Furthermore, authorized establishments must comply with strict location rules: they must be situated at least 75 meters away from places of worship, schools, and cemeteries, and a minimum distance of 20 meters from police stations and administrative buildings. This measure is also presented as a simple reactivation of a 2010 decree from the same governorate, signed by the then mayor of Damascus, Bichr Al-Saban.
This policy is accompanied by a strengthening of administrative control. The director of the Professions and Licenses Department at the Damascus governorate, Hussein Hammoud, partly justified the measure by the fact that half of the bars and restaurants do not have complete authorizations. A three-month period has been granted to the establishments concerned to adapt their activity, particularly bars, which must transform into “cafés” without alcohol. Regular and unannounced inspections are planned in case of non-compliance, which can lead, after a warning, to an administrative closure.
This decision, made without consultation with the competent ministries nor prior information to the concerned actors, comes directly from the municipality of Damascus and bears the signature of Mayor Maher Marwan Idlibi, reinforcing a feeling of arbitrariness linked to centralization and lack of transparency. Beyond the moral dimension alone, it is part of a broader dynamic of economic restructuring that particularly affects sectors related to nightlife, weakens entire professional categories, and plunges many establishment managers into sustained economic uncertainty, due to a lack of visibility on the future of their activity.
A moralization of public space and increased control of behaviors
The current concerns are part of a historical continuity. From the arrival of the new regime to power, in December 2024, certain Christian leadersalready recommended limiting Christmas celebrations, for fear of causing tensions with thenew authorities of Salafist allegiance, despite the official assurances of tolerance.Several incidents targeting this communityhowever, were reported. Although these acts were officially condemned, they reflected a change in atmosphere: the guarantee of freedoms depended less on public statements than on the actual practices of local forces and groups linked to Islamist movements, namely informal Sunni networks originating from former rebel groups, partially reintegrated after the recapture of Damascus.
As early as March 2025, several establishments serving alcohol, particularly in neighborhoods with a large Christian population in central Damascus, had been forced to close following administrative orders, before some of these decisions werepartially canceledunder the pressure of public opinion. At the time, the withdrawal of some of these decrees had been interpreted by many observers as a sign that the authorities remained attentive to their image and to the sensitivities of minorities. In retrospect, this episode appears mainly as a transitional phase: far from renouncing these directions, the power seems to have opted for a more gradual implementation.
In reality, the measures adopted since Ahmad Al-Charaa’s arrival go far beyond the issue of alcohol alone and are part of a broader dynamic of redefining social norms, marked by increasing regulation of individual and collective behaviors. This orientation is thus found in other areas as well. On June 10, 2025, the authorities thereforeasked women to wear covering swimwear on public beaches, of the burkini type, while exempting private establishments considered upscale from this obligation. This decision, taken by the Ministry of Tourism, illustrates the progressive extension of normative logic to the entire social space.
This process takes place in a context marked by the proliferation of local initiatives, often undertaken without a clearly defined framework, giving the impression of a policy conducted through successive adjustments. Behind these measures, however, lies adeeper transformation, some official speeches mentioning the emergence of a “new Damascus” based on stricter social and religious norms, without its contours being clearly specified.
In this context, constraint increasingly appears as a central regulatory tool, with a gradual approach ranging from warnings to the closure of establishments, particularly in the context of alcohol-related restrictions. This development fuels concerns about increased regulation of individual freedoms and the long-term establishment of social control mechanisms.
Stigmatization of Christian minorities and community reshaping
The effects of the decision of March 16 are particularly felt in certain neighborhoods of Damascus, now associated, sometimes in a reductive way, with alcohol consumption spaces. This evolution is strongly contested by many Christian residents, who refuse to see these areas, historically mixed and open, become the only authorized places for these practices, at the risk of concentrating all the uses and populations concerned there. Where these activities were previously spread throughout the city, their current grouping contributes to transforming the image of these neighborhoods and locking them into a specific function.
This geographical division is not neutral. By limiting alcohol sales to the neighborhoods of Bab Touma, Bab Sharqi, and Qassa, the authorities are, even indirectly, reinforcing the association between Christian affiliation and alcohol consumption, while the expression “places of debauchery” has already spread among part of the Damascus population. This phenomenon promotes a sectarian interpretation of the urban area and contributes to further fragmenting the city along community lines. This decision only intensifies existing tensions: from the beginning of the year 2026, several reports indicated the circulation of religious messages in certain neighborhoods or the appearance of posters calling for a “return to true Islam” near Christian worship sites. Even when presented as isolated initiatives, these practices contribute to the establishment of a climate of suspicion and stigmatization.
In response to these concerns, some political leaders are trying to reaffirm an inclusive vision. The Minister of Social Affairs and Labor,Hind Kabawat – the only woman minister in the Al-Charaa government and the only one of Christian faith – has repeatedly recalled the place of Christians in Syrian history and society, emphasizing their role in education, health, and associative action, as well as their commitment to the entire population, including during the years of conflict. She has alsoinsistedon the historical and cultural dimension of neighborhoods such as Bab Touma and Bab Sharqi, presented as spaces of coexistence, while warning against the dangers posed by extremist discourses to national cohesion.
The municipality’s decision was strongly criticized by the “Bab Touma Neighborhood Committee” in Damascus, which declared to Syria TV that this measure was taken without consulting the “local social fabric” and called it “discriminatory,” contradicting the principles of the constitutional declaration. In a statement, the diocese of Bosra, Hauran, and Jabal al-Arab expressed deep concern, considering that the decision promoted a geographical and demographic division contrary to the unified history of Damascus. It added that, while the authorities’ concern to address citizens’ complaints about irresponsible individual behavior is understandable, the solution lies in strengthening the role of the judicial police and applying the law only to offenders, rather than generalizing restrictions to entire neighborhoods.
For the central government, thedouble talkcontinues: internationally, authorities can display a measured position, emphasizing that there is neither a total ban on alcohol nor strict enforcement of a uniform religious model, and that minorities receive special attention. Internally, the message addressed to part of the population is clearer: the public space must gradually conform to moral standards inspired by an Islamic framework, and practices considered deviant are called to be confined to tolerated, but increasingly restricted, spaces.
The gradual tightening of individual freedoms
A protest gathering in the form ofA “silent sit-in” took place on Sunday, March 22, at Bab Touma Square, testifying that these measures are already provoking reactions on the ground. This mobilization in the center of Damascus goes beyond the sole issue of alcohol consumption: it reflects a more general will to defend individual freedoms, guaranteed by articles 7, 12, and 13 of theConstitutional Declarationsigned by Ahmad Al-Charaa himself, on March 13, 2025.
What may at first appear to be a series of isolated decisions actually reveals deeper changes. There is a gradual tightening of individual freedoms and a transformation of the balances between the different components of society. In this context, the dynamics of pluralism and confessional coexistence seem increasingly challenged.
After thirteen years of war for freedom, is Damascus, under the heavy veil of authoritarianism, seeing the hope of its children fade today?
Imad Khillo does not work for, does not advise, does not own shares, and does not receive funds from any organization that could benefit from this article, and has declared no other affiliation than his research institution.
–ref. The restriction on alcohol sales in Damascus, an illustration of the hardening of the Syrian regime –https://theconversation.com/the-restriction-on-alcohol-sales-in-damascus-an-illustration-of-the-tightening-of-the-syrian-regime-279022