PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   Concerns are rising in Syria that President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s administration seeks to curtail the rights and freedoms of civilians by advancing a stricter interpretation of Islamic principles.

Recently, local authorities in Damascus, the capital, prohibited restaurants and bars from serving alcohol across most areas of the city. Only establishments located in predominantly Christian neighborhoods were permitted to continue selling alcohol, but exclusively for off-premises consumption. The decision prompted small-scale protests throughout Damascus, leading to deployment of security forces to maintain order.

“What we’re observing is pressure exerted by certain segments of Syrian society—namely religious clerics and more hardline Islamists who advocate for an Islamist vision of how Syrian society should be structured,” stated Robert Ford, former U.S. ambassador to Syria, in an interview with Digital. Syria’s provisional constitution is based on Islamic law.

Hind Kabawat, Syria’s social affairs minister—a Christian and the sole female member in al-Sharaa’s cabinet—denied claims that alcohol consumption should be restricted solely to Christian districts.

“Our neighborhoods are not spaces for alcohol, but the heart of Damascus remains inclusive,” she wrote in a Facebook post.

“The strength of our nation lies in its diversity, and any radical or extremist viewpoint will only weaken our country,” she added.

In reaction to public backlash, Damascus officials revised their stance, announcing that alcohol could still be sold at venues significant to tourism, such as hotels and select restaurants.

The shift marks a major change for residents of Damascus, where alcohol had been widely accessible in bars and eateries for decades—even during the authoritarian rule of former President Bashar al-Assad.

“Policies like this, which erode personal freedoms in Syria, are deeply troubling. When such measures occur outside Damascus, the central government can justify them by citing limited control. However, seeing these actions implemented in Damascus itself carries special significance since President al-Sharaa holds strong influence there,” remarked Mara Karlin, a former official at the Department of Defense and professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), in an interview with Digital.

“If he is indeed steering Syria toward an Islamist model, it raises serious questions about how much progress he has made beyond his past affiliations,” Karlin continued.

Al-Sharaa, who led the Islamist rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to victory over Assad, has undertaken an international outreach campaign since assuming power, visiting multiple foreign capitals and working to reintegrate Syria into the global community.

Former President Donald Trump even publicly endorsed al-Sharaa, whom he first met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May 2025 and subsequently hosted at the White House in November 2025—the first time a Syrian leader visited the White House since the country’s independence in 1946.

Karlin, who testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in February regarding challenges facing post-Assad Syria, acknowledged that while the current government includes former jihadists, they have largely governed with pragmatism and minimal ideological rigidity.

She also noted, however, that their authority extends weakly beyond Damascus.

“There have been troubling cases involving restrictions on women’s rights, and developments such as these warrant careful monitoring to assess both the government’s reach and underlying ideology.”

Ford, who served as the last U.S. ambassador in Damascus in 2011, emphasized that al-Sharaa is not a proponent of democracy and likely intends to impose elements of an Islamist agenda on Syria. Nonetheless, he has refrained from doing so since toppling the Assad regime in 2024.

While the ordinances enforced in Damascus and other regions are issued by local officials, those individuals remain directly accountable to the central government and are loyal to al-Sharaa—and likely endorse an Islamist vision for Syria’s future.

Some fear the alcohol ban may hinder Syria’s fragile post-war recovery, especially as al-Sharaa strives to reintegrate the country into the global economy and revive its tourism sector.

The World Bank estimates Syria’s reconstruction needs amount to approximately $216 billion following nearly 14 years of civil war. Previously, Syria’s tourism minister indicated that rebuilding the industry would require at least $100 million over the next seven years.

Alcohol is not the only target of local enforcement efforts. In February, officials in the port city of Latakia banned women from wearing makeup at work. Another town near Damascus outlawed men from working in women’s clothing stores to uphold public decency standards.

Ford acknowledged that some local regulations do raise concerns, but stressed that ultimately, it is a domestic matter requiring Syrians themselves to determine the role of religion in shaping the country’s post-Assad identity.

This article includes contributions from THE Associated Press.