A Damascus Suburb Local Council's Regulations Against Blasphemy

As noted previously, attempts in Syria to enforce Islamist norms and regulations are primarily occurring at the local rather than national level, whereby a local council or a provincial administration issues a decision or set of decisions. These decisions are either framed as enforcement of an existing law or justified in the name of the public interest and Islamic law.

The latest example of these decisions comes from the Damascus suburb of Ain Tarma, where the ‘notables council’- in cooperation with the municipal office- has recently issued a statement declaring a prohibition on blasphemy. It is translated below.