 The Syrian capital's first casino, located near Damascus airport, opens without fanfare on Christmas Eve in a bending of the rules in a secular country seeking to lure tourists but where gambling is banned out of respect for Islam. AFP photo |
Syria’s first and only casino is already facing calls for its closure, just two weeks after its discreet debut, according to news reports.
The Ocean Club, near Damascus airport, is the first facility to openly offer gambling in Syria since the 1970s, when the last venues were shut down under pressure from religious conservatives, reported UAE-based English-language news paper the National reported on its website.
Similar forces are now coming together again in opposition against the return of gambling to Syrian soil.
"If it is true that there is a casino and gambling, then we are responsible to fight against such activity," said Mohammad Habash, a renowned Islamic scholar and a member of Syria's national parliament.
He said deputies would table a formal query about the activities of the Ocean Club, which, under Syrian parliamentary rules, must be answered within 30 days. If the government confirms that gambling is taking place there, Habash said he would ask that the Ocean Club be forcibly closed on the grounds that it was operating illegally.
"We have licenses for restaurants and nightclubs, but there are no licenses for casinos or gambling," he said. "So we consider this to be outside the law. The government is responsible for stopping this kind of activity. We are not going to ask for [the casino's] legal justifications, we are looking to stop and close down this kind of activity."
Under mainstream interpretations of Islamic law, gambling is not permitted and any money associated with it – even the wages of croupiers or other staff working at a casino – is considered unclean and impermissible by Muslims.
Syria has a majority Sunni Muslim population as well as other religious and ethnic minority communities that are proud of their history of largely peaceful coexistence and tolerance. While many in the country are secular in inclination and practice, there is also a hard-line Islamic conservative segment.
The mix means Syrian authorities are seeking to mollify Islamic hardliners while constraining radical sentiments and safeguarding the country’s secular principles.
As such, reactions to the casino have been mixed. With queues out the door and standing-room-only quarters inside, there appears to have been no shortage of customers, most of them Syrians, willing to lay down their money and try their luck. The Ocean charges a $10 entrance fee and operates daily between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m.
The business community and those trying to boost Syria as a venue for tourists – one of the country's major growth industries – have been supportive of the new club, hoping it will help drum up trade and create wealth.
"I'm not particularly in favor of gambling, but I can see the benefits of having it out in the open and being able to tax it," said a Syrian analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The suggestion that shutting the Ocean Club down would drive gamblers underground or harm the Syrian economy as players take their cash elsewhere was dismissed by Habash.
"It's not an issue about some dollars in exchange for losing your faith, traditions, family and society," he said. "Syria is not a company looking just to make money. Gambling is a disease, and just like drug addiction or adultery, we should oppose it."
Habash said a majority of Syrians were opposed to gambling.
"My opinion is that we don't need to have this gambling here,” said Damascus resident Abu Mohammad. “It's forbidden by religion and I wouldn't touch any money that had come from gambling."
The Ocean Club, near Damascus airport, is the first facility to openly offer gambling in Syria since the 1970s, when the last venues were shut down under pressure from religious conservatives, reported UAE-based English-language news paper the National reported on its website.
Similar forces are now coming together again in opposition against the return of gambling to Syrian soil.
"If it is true that there is a casino and gambling, then we are responsible to fight against such activity," said Mohammad Habash, a renowned Islamic scholar and a member of Syria's national parliament.
He said deputies would table a formal query about the activities of the Ocean Club, which, under Syrian parliamentary rules, must be answered within 30 days. If the government confirms that gambling is taking place there, Habash said he would ask that the Ocean Club be forcibly closed on the grounds that it was operating illegally.
"We have licenses for restaurants and nightclubs, but there are no licenses for casinos or gambling," he said. "So we consider this to be outside the law. The government is responsible for stopping this kind of activity. We are not going to ask for [the casino's] legal justifications, we are looking to stop and close down this kind of activity."
Low profile boss
The Ocean Club opened on Christmas Eve after months of quiet preparation. The owner, Khaled Houboubati, has kept a low profile since. His father, Tawfiq Houboubati, ran three casinos in the 1970s until they were outlawed, including one where the Ocean Club is presently located. Before the Ocean Club, the nearest casino was across the border in Lebanon.Under mainstream interpretations of Islamic law, gambling is not permitted and any money associated with it – even the wages of croupiers or other staff working at a casino – is considered unclean and impermissible by Muslims.
Syria has a majority Sunni Muslim population as well as other religious and ethnic minority communities that are proud of their history of largely peaceful coexistence and tolerance. While many in the country are secular in inclination and practice, there is also a hard-line Islamic conservative segment.
The mix means Syrian authorities are seeking to mollify Islamic hardliners while constraining radical sentiments and safeguarding the country’s secular principles.
As such, reactions to the casino have been mixed. With queues out the door and standing-room-only quarters inside, there appears to have been no shortage of customers, most of them Syrians, willing to lay down their money and try their luck. The Ocean charges a $10 entrance fee and operates daily between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m.
The business community and those trying to boost Syria as a venue for tourists – one of the country's major growth industries – have been supportive of the new club, hoping it will help drum up trade and create wealth.
"I'm not particularly in favor of gambling, but I can see the benefits of having it out in the open and being able to tax it," said a Syrian analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The suggestion that shutting the Ocean Club down would drive gamblers underground or harm the Syrian economy as players take their cash elsewhere was dismissed by Habash.
"It's not an issue about some dollars in exchange for losing your faith, traditions, family and society," he said. "Syria is not a company looking just to make money. Gambling is a disease, and just like drug addiction or adultery, we should oppose it."
Habash said a majority of Syrians were opposed to gambling.
"My opinion is that we don't need to have this gambling here,” said Damascus resident Abu Mohammad. “It's forbidden by religion and I wouldn't touch any money that had come from gambling."
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