Iraqi parliament passes bill banning alcohol
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Iraq's parliament has passed a law forbidding the import, production or selling of alcoholic beverages.
The bill passed late Saturday imposes a fine of up to 25 million Iraqi dinars, or $21,000, for anyone violating the ban.
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.
