Iraq parliament passes bill to ban alcohol

According to an MP and a parliament official, the ban was a last-minute addition to a draft law on municipalities that caught the anti-ban camp flat-footed.

BAGHDAD // Iraq’s parliament has passed a law forbidding the import, production or selling of alcoholic beverages in a surprise move that angered many in the country’s Christian community who rely on the business.

The law, passed on Saturday night, imposes a fine of up to 25 million Iraqi dinars, or Dh77,690, for anyone violating the ban.

It is not clear how strictly the law would be enforced, and it could still be struck down by the supreme court.

Alcohol has always been available in Iraq’s larger cities, mainly from shops run by Christians. Those shops are currently closed because of the Shiite holy month of Muharram.

The Iraqi assembly announced the ban on its website but did not say how many lawmakers voted for or against it. The parliament is dominated by Shiite Islamist parties.

Christian lawmaker Joseph Slaiwa said the “unjust” ban was slipped into a draft law regulating the income of municipal authorities without lawmakers being notified. The original article only called for imposing taxes on liquor stores and restaurants serving liquor, he said.

“This ban is unconstitutional, as the constitution acknowledges the rights of non-Muslim minorities and ethnic groups who live alongside Muslims in Iraq,” he said. Some lawmakers will submit an appeal at the high federal court, he said.

The bill was proposed by Mahmoud Al Hassan, a judge and lawmaker from the State of Law coalition, the largest bloc in parliament. He insisted it was in keeping with the constitution, which prohibits any legislation that goes against Islam.

“The constitution preserves democracy and the rights of non-Muslim groups, but these rights must not violate the religion of Islam,” he said. “Some of the lawmakers’ vote was religiously-motivated, but many others voted to avoid anything unconstitutional.”

Kirk Sowell, the publisher of the biweekly newsletter Inside Iraqi Politics, said the bill was clearly supported by Shiite Islamists but came “as a bit of a surprise because it has not been a subject of major debate or discussion”.

He said the executive branch could move to have the law overturned, and the supreme court could strike it down.

The bill comes as Iraq is waging a massive military operation to retake the northern city of Mosul from ISIL. The extremist group brutally enforces a ban on alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs in the territory under its control.

Iraqis debated the alcohol ban on social media, with many criticising lawmakers for ignoring more pressing concerns, like the war against ISIL, an economic crisis brought on by low oil prices, and the government’s own corruption and paralysis. A cartoon circulated online showing men with their backs turned on Mosul, shooting a bottle of liquor.

Others expressed support for the ban and praised parliament for aligning the country’s laws with Islamic teachings.

* Associated Press