The 60 bars in Damascus, Syria, were closed by the country’s new administration for serving alcohol without a license, but reopened within a day following appeals to the mayor and backlash on social media.
A 1952 law requires that, to obtain a license to serve alcohol in Syria, a venue must be located more than 100 meters from a school or place of worship — a condition that excludes most locations in central Damascus.
Alcohol consumption is prohibited in Islam, and some owners pay $2,000 to Islamist fighters to obtain alcohol.
Under the previous Assad regime, which, as an Alawite, permitted alcohol consumption, most bars operated without a license. Owners typically paid a fine of around $2 every few months to continue operating.
The fact that the bars were closed for less than a day illustrates how jihadist groups are attempting to combine conservative Islamic values with a more “Western” lifestyle, which many Syrians—especially in cities—have adopted.
“People here respect one another. They respect each other’s religion and traditions,” a bar owner told NPR, referring to the coexistence of people from different religions and minorities in Damascus, where bars serve as a common meeting place.
