DAMASCUS, Dec 15 — The citizens of Damascus largely celebrated the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s hated regime with joy, after 13 long years of brutal civil war.
But the city’s drinking holes did have one concern.
The rebel army that overthrew the former leader was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group which some drinkers feared would forbid the sale of alcohol.
For four days after the HTS fighters entered the city, pubs and liquor stores remained shut but no crackdown emerged and now venues are tentatively reopening.
And Safi, the landlord of the Papa Bar in the winding alleys of the Old City, wants everyone to calm down and enjoy a drink or two in the normally busy Christmas season.
Social media fears
In an interview with AFP over the bar in his cellar pub, Safi — who did not give his family name so as not to identify community origins — complained of a social media driven panic.
When rumours started spreading that the Islamist gunmen in control of the neighbourhood were going to crack down on bars, he went to the police post they control on the Bab Touma roundabout.
“I told the them that I own a bar and would like to hold a party and serve alcoholic drinks,” he said, standing in front of a row of bottles of imported Scotch whisky and fine Syrian arak.
“They responded: ‘Yes, open the place, there is no problem with that at all. You have the right to work and live your life as you did before’,” he said, as pop music blared.
The HTS-led government has not made any official statement on the status of alcohol and many bar owners and restaurants closed as the city fell to the lightning rebel offensive.
But the new government has also stressed that it is an interim administration and will be tolerant of all social and religious groups in Syria.
“Talk about an alcohol ban is not true,” an HTS official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Pressed, he became exasperated, insisting the government had “bigger issues to deal with”.
The Papa Bar and a handful of nearby pubs have duly reopened, but trade is light and Safi would like the government to make a firmer public statement that they are safe.
On reopening night, he hosted around 20 people for a late night party under the gaze of Tiki Bar-style grimacing Polynesian statues, but on the second night things were quiet.
“The people who attended the party were confused and afraid. They were at the party, but they were not happy,” he complained.
“But if there is reassurance... you will find the whole world staying up late and happy because we are now in the month of Christmas, the month of celebrations.”
Syria has a large Christian minority which celebrates Christmas and decorations are going up in Damascus.
In the Al Alia restaurant around the corner, a singer was belting out popular hits as party-goers enjoyed vast platters of mezze and quaffed arak and beer.
The room wasn’t full, but Dr Mohsen Ahmad, a jovial and stylishly dressed character was determined to have a good time.
“We expected a big mess in the situation,” he told AFP, as neon party lights glinted off the hanging snowflake decor. “But we are very quickly back to our life, night life, our rights.”
Party with a singer
The manager of the Al Alia, Yezan Shalash, said HTS fighters had interrupted the venue’s re-opening night party but had not closed it down.
“We started working yesterday. Things were very good ... there was a party and a singer. People started to come. In the middle of the party, members of HTS came,” he said,
“They, entered with all politeness and respect. They took off their weapons outside the door.”
Instead of raiding the joint, the former rebels were keen to reassure everyone that business could continue.
“They told people: ‘We didn’t come here to scare anyone, or terrorise anyone. We have come here to live together in Syria, enjoying the freedom that we have been waiting for so long,” Shalash said.
“They treated us very well yesterday but I am afraid that this will be temporary.”
Syria’s new interim government will continue under HTS leadership until March 1. After that, the bar owners don’t know what to expect. In the meantime, Safi wants drinkers to come out. — AFP
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