Lebanon, Get Civil!

Civil marriage is finally making headlines in Lebanon, for the right reasons. And like all national issues, suddenly everyone’s an expert and advocate on the topic. That I can live with.

I’m not going to lecture you on civil marriage, but here’s what you need to know: It’s not permitted in Lebanon, most couples travel abroad to wed, usually somewhere close by like Cyprus or Turkey. And a high religious power figure in the country just denounced everyone supporting it as an apostate/blasphemous and described civil marriage activists as “predators spreading bacteria.”

To add insult to injury an  ignorant breed of young people suddenly started giving their two cents on civil marriage and here is one of the downright silliest arguments I’ve heard from some women with toothpick-thin red tattooed eyebrows:

“But yaa3ni every girl dreams of having a big wedding, with a huge dress and full-makeup and hair and the cake and everything. And how will she get married without her parents? And shou no zaffeh?? The pictures will look so ugly and empty. Haram. She will regret it one day trust me!”

You see what we have to put up with? And I love how some people even take the time to explain to them that they can still throw a party after the civil ceremony and wear a huge dress and invite family and friends. Please! This sort of mindset is what’s keeping Lebanon behind on civil rights and how on earth are women supposed to even attain their full rights as citizens if they would  be opposed to civil marriage for the sake of a dress and party?? I’m going to go hide under some rock now and wake up when it’s really 2013 in Lebanon.

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