President Michel Aoun on Friday returned to the Parliament for review, the law approved on June 27 exempting children of Lebanese women married to foreigners and those holding complimentary residence (https://bit.ly/2Lnm2Ml). According to Al Akhbar daily, the President’s explanatory statement listed several reasons, notably, the proviso of equality in rights and duties among all citizens and supported ‘discriminating’ the children of Lebanese mothers married to non-Lebanese from children who boast ‘pure Lebanese blood’. The above law, the statement explained, is surrounded by ambiguity which ultimately voids the texts on whether the anticipated work permit covers all fields of work, and this includes vocations regulated by laws requiring the workforce to hold the Lebanese nationality. Aoun’s explanatory statement went on to say, that the principle of equality is measured and applied in similar circumstances and not under different legal situations. Karima Chebbo, the coordinator of My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family Campaign, condemned this new development, saying what happened has aggravated the undesirable conditions in which we live, noting that the exemption law seeks to facilitate the life of the children in question without granting them the Lebanese citizenship. Speaking to Al Arabi Al Jadid portal, Chebbo explained that the Campaign has its remarks on the above law, especially that it targets the children but excludes the husbands. For her part, the head of the Lebanese Council of Women, Iqbal Doughan, described President Aoun’s move as patriarchal par-excellence, saying it carries a message that such demands will be never be met. Similarly, MP Roula Tabsh criticized Aoun’s move which sustains injustice against the children of Lebanese mothers married to foreigners. “How long will this discrimination against women continue, and when will Lebanese women reclaim their full rights,” Tabsh tweeted. (Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, July 29, 2019 )
