Iraq govt bans alcohol in surprise move

The Iraqi government has voted in a bill banning the import, production and sale of alcohol in the country.

The Iraqi government has voted to ban the import, sale and production of alcohol in the country

The prohibition law was an unexpected addition to a wider bill on municipalities introduced on Saturday (22 October).

While alcohol is not widely available in Iraq, the capital Baghdad, as well as some regional cities, does have a number of small alcohol shops and bars.

Conservatives in government say the previous law was contradictory to Islam and is therefore unconstitutional. However opponents point to constitutional guarantees for minority religious groups in the country, including Christians, and have vowed to appeal the bill.

Those found in breach of the new legislation will be fined 10-25 million dinars (about US$8,000-21,000).

“This law is necessary to preserve Iraq’s identity as a Muslim country,” Mahmoud al-Hassan, head of the legal panel of parliament, told Reuters.

However, Yonadim Kenna, an MP from Iraq’s Christian minority, claimed: “The decision gives a negative picture on what is supposed to be democratic Iraq. It’s a violation to the freedoms of all, not a certain group.”

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is now “monitoring” the situation in the country. “The Iraqi parliament only passed the law forbidding the import, production or selling of alcohol over the weekend,” said Rosemary Gallagher, head of communications at the SWA. “We’ll monitor the situation and speak to members about the potential impact on Scotch whisky.

“Exports of Scotch to Iraq were worth £8,948,094 last year.”

She also noted reports claiming it is unclear how strictly the law would be enforced and speculating it could be struck down by the Supreme Court in the country.

The vote in Iraq follows prohibition rulings across India, including in the state of Bihar where legislation to ban alcohol was recently found to be “illegal”.