BAGHDAD (AP) – Iraq’s parliament passed a law Saturday 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 late Saturday night, imposes a fine of up to 25 million Iraqi dinars, or $21,000, for anyone violating the ban. But it’s unclear how strictly the law would be enforced, and it could be struck down by the supreme court.
Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol, but it 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.
Iraq’s parliament is dominated by Shiite Islamist parties. The assembly announced the ban on its website but did not say how many lawmakers voted for or against it.
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.