Iraq's Salahuddin province launches war on alcohol
The ban on alcohol shops in Salahuddin, which was recently liberated from IS control, shows the growing influence of clerics and tribal leaders.
On July 10, the governor of Salahuddin province decided to close all liquor stores in the province, after having received requests from the local council of al-Shirqat district calling to close the liquor shops in the district.
The Islamic State (IS) controlled Al-Shirqat and neighboring areas from 2014 to 2017. When these areas were liberated, they witnessed a social liberation.
On July 2, Hermez al-Ashoury, a Christian, opened the first liquor store with a Yazidi partner after obtaining the consent of the government. Non-Muslim Iraqis work in liquor trade across the country.
Writer and media figure Ali al-Baidar told Al-Monitor, “The decision to ban the sell of liquor in al-Shirqat and Salahuddin province in general is due to pressure exerted by clerics, who believe trading in liquors is contrary to Islam. Meanwhile, prominent social figures believe banning this trade is necessary to preserve the conservative identity of al-Shirqat and Salahuddin and to prevent social disintegration due to excessive openness to Western customs and traditions.”
