President Hrawi determined to bring civil marriage
Lebanon, Politics, 1/19/1998

Knowing that it will not be easy and that it could take years before his proposal is approved, President Elias Hrawi is nevertheless determined to introduce civil marriage to Lebanese society.

According to Hrawi, a Maronite Christian, introducing civil marriage would be a "first step on the way of eliminating sectarianism in Lebanon."

A draft law to institute voluntary civil marriage will be submitted to Lebanon's council of ministers for debate and a vote, he has said without specifying a time frame.

Inter-religious marriage cannot be performed in Lebanon. People of different faiths who wish to marry without one of them having to convert have to travel to places abroad, such as neighboring Cyprus, in order to do so.

But in a country with 18 officially-recognized sects and a deep-rooted sectarian system, such a proposal is almost certain to cause an uproar and anger many.

While Hrawi's proposal is supported by the younger generation in Lebanon, Muslim and Christian clergymen have repeatedly registered their displeasure, claiming civil marriages would serve to disintegrate traditional close family ties and threaten the foundations of matrimony.

Others have argued that there is no such thing as "voluntary" civil marriage. "It's like giving children the choice to go outside and play during study hours at school," said one Muslim Sheikh. "They would all end up in the playground."

The Shiite Muslim Hizbullah guerrilla group has also joined in the discussion. A party official, Sheikh Naim Kassem, said Hizbullah was against civil marriage, adding that it would "lead to further decay of moral ethics among Lebanon's youth."

But the president is not discouraged. Hrawi's visitors over the weekend quoted him as saying he was determined to submit the draft bill for introducing civil marriage, even if it is not approved during his term in office, which ends in October this year.

Previous Stories:
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  Arafat, Assad, and Hrawi to meet   (1/10/1998)
  Satellite broadcasts of news and political programs banned   (1/8/1998)

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