A decree issued in the Syrian capital of Damascus last week restricted the sale of alcohol, the latest incident hinting at increased religious conservatism under the leadership of Islamist president Ahmed al-Sharaa. Alcohol is frowned upon under conservative Islamic law, and its sale and consumption are associated with Christian or Western influence in some parts of the world. 

The decree allowed limited exceptions for shops in certain Christian neighborhoods of Damascus, but even there, it permitted the sale of sealed bottles only. It completely prohibited alcohol sales in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. 

“The sale of sealed alcoholic beverages is restricted to the Bab Touma, Qassaa, and Bab Sharqi districts,” the decree stated, naming Christian neighborhoods in the city, “and only in establishments designated for this purpose as per the commercial building permit.” 

Many Syrian Christians interpreted the decree as a burdensome restriction rooted in conservative Islam and feared the increased attention they might receive from radicals by being identified with alcohol. Following protests and complaints last week, the government issued an apology and a statement indicating that it would review the policy. 

A decree in January banned female government employees from wearing makeup, and authorities last year began imposing self-defined modesty standards on public beaches. 

Observers within the country and internationally are watching to see whether President Sharaa intends to govern in accordance with religious restrictions or broader international norms. 

Al-Sharaa himself was previously a member of the Islamic State group and is an avowed jihadist, making his motives difficult to discern. While he has made public statements emphasizing peace and tolerance, forces associated with his government have repeatedly committed or permitted mass tragedies, often targeting members of ethnoreligious minorities. 

Civil society leaders, human rights watchdogs, and minority community representatives have expressed ongoing concern about the status of ethnoreligious minorities in Syria, as massacres, sporadic attacks, and widespread marginalization continue to mark Sharaa’s administration. 

The Sharaa administration has repeatedly targeted ethnoreligious minorities, with large-scale massacres killing hundreds of Druze and Alawite civilians in cities with significant minority populations, such as Homs. 

In other areas, Christians have faced a deadly wave of violence throughout 2025. The most harrowing example came on June 22, when a suicide bomber attacked Mar Elias Church in Damascus. After opening fire on congregants during Divine Liturgy, he detonated an explosive vest inside the church, killing at least 22 worshippers and injuring dozens more. 

This massacre — the first major church bombing in Syria since Bashar al-Assad’s fall from power in December 2024 — sent shockwaves through Syria’s Christian community, renewing fears that places of worship are no longer safe even under the new government. 

According to a report published by the Syriac Strategic Research Center (SSRC) in late 2025, this attack was not an isolated incident. The report documents a disturbing pattern: dozens of smaller-scale but still violent events — including vandalism of churches, desecration of cemeteries, forced displacement of Christian families, and threats and intimidation — across multiple regions such as Hama, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Suwayda. 

Churches have had crosses knocked down, icons destroyed, and cemeteries desecrated. 

Although the new administration under Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged to protect minorities and restore a sense of normalcy, these incidents lay bare the fragility of those guarantees. For many Syrian Christians, fear, grief, and uncertainty about whether they will ever truly be safe have overshadowed any hopes of a stable post-Assad era.

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