Baladi News – Damascus (Hossam Mohammed)
With its ancient and deep-rooted neighborhoods and markets, Damascus city is considered one of the most prominent historical monuments throughout the ages. However, the city has lost significant part of its shine in the era of Bashar al-Assad. Al-Assad gave way to his allied wealthy traders, as well as intelligence leaders, to tamper with the ancient landmarks of the city, including both the Damascene style buildings and archeological houses, some of which date back hundreds of years. Such places have been converted from centers of a historical and humanitarian value into nightclubs and brothels.
Media activist, Fadi Abdul-Wahed, clarified the changes introduced by the regime and its supporters, including traders and highly ranked military officers, to the ancient neighborhoods. He said “The capital Damascus is famous for its ancient neighborhoods that have special architectural styles. These places used to be an important destination for tourists groups from all around the world. However, the people that we meet today are either alcohol and drugs’ addicts or nightclub customers, meanwhile those who have ties with the regime are deliberately promoting prostitution in the area.”
Abdul-Wahed added that “dozens of restaurants in the neighborhoods of Bab Tuma, al-Amara, al-Qanawat, and others have changed into bars and nightclubs that serve myriads of alcohol brands to dozens of customers every night. Even fast food restaurants are being converted to clubs at night, where all kinds of unethical practices are committed.”
On the other hand, activist Mohammed al-Shami, a resident of al-Amara neighborhood, said, “The old neighborhoods of Damascus, which have become teem with nightclubs, witness intense gun fires during the early morning hours on an almost daily basis by heavily drunk intelligence officers to express their ecstasy. ”
The speaker attributed these phenomena to “a technique followed by the regime to recapture Damascus and change its 1400 years old character. The city is gradually changing from a conservative into a place of nightclubs, casinos, and brothels, safeguarded by militants of the Basij and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. ”
He also added that the customers of these bars and nightclubs are sons of military and intelligence officers as well as “religious extremists” from Hezbollah and the Shiite militias. Those have a surplus of money to spend on amusement and drinking, whereas civil servants and ordinary people, who do not have ties with the security forces, are unable to obtain bread for their families.