“My Nationality is My Dignity” sit-in against Bassil’s racist statement

My Nationality is My Dignity Campaign has staged a sit-in on Sunday at the Riad el Solh Square to protest the latest statement by foreign minister Jibran Bassil in the presence of representatives of women associations and civil society groups and activists, in addition to a number of mothers demanding their right to grant citizenship to their children. The Campaign clarified that the rally comes in response to Bassil’s notorious racism reflected in his approval of the nationality law but on condition of “excluding Syrians and Palestinians in order to preserve the nation and land and the fabric of the Lebanese society,” as he claimed. During the demo, the Campaign’s coordinator, Mustafa Chaar, said: “We have become accustomed to the bigoted attitudes of Lebanese politicians, yet it was shocking to us to watch officials spell out their discriminatory viewpoints at international platforms.” “Manipulating demographic dynamics,” Chaar stressed, “has become past, as most Lebanese citizens now dream of emigrating,” noting that those who have been disqualified by Bassil’s indicators have not known but Lebanon as their country. Chaar finally appealed to all political factions to implement the Constitution through the endorsement of the Law which gives Lebanese mothers the right to grant nationality to their children on parity with men. He also called for holding accountable any party or person who dares to promote racism, bigotry and intolerance among citizens. (As Safir, Al Mustaqbal, September 26, 2016)