Iraqi critic says decision by pro-Iranian Shias marks attempt to ‘transform Baghdad into Kandahar’
Shia conservatives have tightened their grip on the country by implementing a ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol at clubs and hotels. This marks the culmination of a two-decade crackdown on alcohol and has been criticised as violating minority rights, curbing personal freedoms, harming tourism and threatening jobs.
Iraq-based Shafaq news cited Christian parliamentary bloc head Joesph Sliwa who stated: “The majority of those who consume alcoholic beverages are Muslims, and there is no consensus on the prohibition of alcohol.” The local production, import and trade in alcoholic drinks has traditionally been conducted by Christians and non-Muslim Yezidis.
A ban on the sale of alcohol in licensed shops failed in 2016. When revived in 2023, shops were forced to close, but the exclusive Alwiya and Hunting clubs and tourist hotels continued to serve alcohol. Iraq has had a long love affair with Johnnie Walker Black Label, which was once dubbed the country’s national beverage although consumed solely by the wealthy elite.
Believed to have been invented 5,000 years ago by Sumerians in Mesopotamia when hunter gatherers discovered grain fermentation, beer was widely consumed as water was polluted with animal waste. Archaeologists have found ceramic vessels with beer residue dating to 3,400 BC and a hymn to the Sumerian beer goddess. Babylonian king Hammurabi – the law giver who ruled from 1792-1750 BC – issued the first codes for taverns.
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