1 month ago
NEWYou tin now perceive to Fox News articles!
There are increasing fears among immoderate successful Syria that nan authorities of President Ahmed al-Sharaa has nan purpose of clamping down connected nan authorities and freedoms of its civilians by promoting a much blimpish mentation of Islam.
Local authorities successful Syria’s capital, Damascus, precocious banned restaurants and bars from trading intoxicant successful astir parts of nan city. Only venues successful nan majority-Christian neighborhoods of Damascus would beryllium allowed to proceed to waste alcohol, but only for takeaway. The move sparked insignificant protests passim nan capital, pinch security forces sent successful to support order.
"What you're seeing is unit from 1 portion of Syrian society, nan clerics and benignant of harder-line Islamists who person a vision, an Islamist imagination of really Syrian nine should be," Robert Ford, erstwhile ambassador to Syria, told Fox News Digital. Syria's impermanent constitution is guided by Islamic law.
EVANGELICAL LEADER SAYS US MUST PROTECT SYRIAN CHRISTIANS FROM ATTACKS BY JIHADI TERRORISTS
Christians stitchery to observe Christmas astatine nan Monastery of Our Lady of Saydnaya successful Syria connected Dec. 24, 2024. (Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)
Syria’s societal affairs minister, Hind Kabawat, a Christian and nan only female successful al-Sharaa’s cabinet, pushed backmost connected nan thought that intoxicant tin only beryllium consumed successful Christian neighborhoods.
"Our neighborhoods are not places for alcohol, but nan bosom of Damascus," she said successful a Facebook post.
"The spot of our federation is successful its diversity, and immoderate radical, extremist sound will origin our nation's weakness," she added.
In consequence to nan outcry, Damascus authorities walked backmost nan ban, saying that intoxicant purchases could stay successful places important for tourism, specified arsenic hotels and definite restaurants.
The move is simply a important departure for mundane Syrians surviving successful Damascus, wherever intoxicant was readily disposable successful bars and restaurants for decades, moreover nether nan authoritarian and oppressive norm of erstwhile dictator Bashar al-Assad.
SYRIA GRANTED SANCTIONS WAIVER BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO ENCOURAGE REBUILDING
"Steps for illustration these, which restrict freedoms successful Syria, are worrying. When they person occurred acold from Damascus, nan cardinal authorities tin reason that it lacks capable control. But it is peculiarly meaningful to spot specified steps successful Damascus since President al-Sharaa dominates there," Mara Karlin, a erstwhile Department of Defense charismatic and professor astatine Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), told Fox News Digital.
"If he is pushing an Islamist Syria, past it calls into mobility really overmuch he is moving beyond his history," Karlin added.
Al-Sharaa, who led nan Islamist rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to victory complete Assad, has been connected an world charm violative since taking power, visiting overseas capitals and reintegrating Syria into nan world community.
The Eagles of Antioch protestation successful Damascus pursuing nan burning of a Christmas character by extremists during Christmas 2024. (Obtained by Fox News)
President Trump moreover endorsed al-Sharaa, who first met pinch him successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, successful May 2025 and again successful November 2025 erstwhile Trump hosted him astatine nan White House, nan first clip a Syrian leader had visited nan White House since nan state gained independency successful 1946.
Karlin, who testified earlier nan House Foreign Affairs Committee successful February connected nan challenges facing Syria after nan autumn of Assad, said that, while nan Syrian authorities does see erstwhile jihadists, they person been mostly pragmatic and non-ideological successful their governance.
She noted, however, that their scope beyond Damascus is anemic and limited.
"There person been immoderate troubling instances of restrictions connected women’s freedom, for example, and indicators specified arsenic these merit adjacent scrutiny for grounds of nan Syrian government’s power and ideology."
TRUMP ORDERS COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL OF ALL TROOPS FROM SYRIA WITHIN TWO MONTHS: REPORT
President Donald Trump meets pinch Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa astatine nan White House connected Nov. 10, 2025. (Syrian Presidency/Anadolu)
Ford, who was nan past U.S. ambassador successful Damascus successful 2011, stressed that al-Sharaa is not a politician and astir apt would for illustration to enforce parts of an Islamist imagination connected Syria, but has truthful acold held backmost since overthrowing nan Assad authorities successful 2024.
The ordinances successful Damascus and elsewhere are imposed by section officials, but these officials are straight tied to nan authorities and are loyal to al-Sharaa and apt support an Islamist imagination for Syria.
Some interest nan prohibition connected intoxicant could harm Syria’s vulnerable post-conflict reconstruction, peculiarly astatine a clip erstwhile al-Sharaa is trying to reintegrate Syria into nan world system and rebuild nan country’s tourism sector.
The World Bank estimated Syria’s reconstruction costs are astir $216 cardinal aft astir 14 years of civilian war. Syria’s curate of tourism antecedently said nan state will request astatine slightest $100 cardinal complete nan adjacent 7 years to rebuild nan tourism industry.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Alcohol isn’t nan only target of immoderate section authorities successful Syria. Officials successful nan larboard metropolis of Latakia successful February banned women from wearing constitution astatine work. Another municipality extracurricular Damascus prohibited men from moving successful female clothing stores to uphold nationalist decency.
Ford said though immoderate of nan section ordinances are a origin for concern, it is simply a home issue, and Syrians will person to find nan role of belief successful post-Assad Syria.
THE Associated Press contributed to this article.
