This week's ban on alcohol in Damascus has sparked a debate among Syrians. Some say it's about more than just being able to have a drink: It's about the country's future governance, personal freedoms and community unity.
“The alcohol debate […] is not merely about a beverage or lifestyle. It symbolizes deeper questions about governance, societal values and the balance between religious and secular ideologies,” Ammar Abdulhamid, a Syrian pro-democracy activist now based in the US, previously wrote in an op-ed for the online magazine, Newlines when an alcohol ban was first discussed in 2024."
“The alcohol debate […] is not merely about a beverage or lifestyle. It symbolizes deeper questions about governance, societal values and the balance between religious and secular ideologies,” Ammar Abdulhamid, a Syrian pro-democracy activist now based in the US, previously wrote in an op-ed for the online magazine, Newlines when an alcohol ban was first discussed in 2024."
Somebody is imposing more and more restrictions.