THE GUARDIAN: Bashar al-Assad also orders closure of Syria's only casino in bid to appease Muslims ahead of proposed anti-regime protests
Syria has closed the country's only casino and reversed a ban on teachers wearing the Islamic veil – moves seen as an attempt to reach out to conservative Muslims ahead of calls for pro-democracy demonstrations.
Syrian activists have urged protesters to take to the streets on Wednesday and the following two days to honour more than 80 people who were killed in a crackdown on demonstrations that erupted nearly three weeks ago.
President Bashar al-Assad's decisions on Wednesday were unusual concessions to religious concern in Syria, which promotes a strictly secular identity.
The recent protests, however, have brought sectarian tensions into the open with thousands of people taking to the streets calling for democracy in a country where Alawites – followers of a branch of Shia Islam who represent just 11% of the population – have been in power for nearly 40 years. The country is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. » | Associated Press in Cairo | Wednesday, April 06, 2011
