Actions in support of civil marriage in Lebanon and Minister Charbel “still studying the file” || Newspapers (Arabic)

The Coordination Committee of the Citizenship Campaign for a Lebanese Personal Status Law convened a meeting today in UNESCO palace to discuss possible actions in support of civil marriage and a civil family code.  Meanwhile, several activists who called themselves “lovers” and gathered yesterday in front of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities to celebrate the civil marriage of Khouloud Sukaryeh and Nidal Darwish on Valentine.  The participants also thanked the Higher Constitutional Council for its decision to support the registration of the marriage at the Ministry of Interior.  For his part, the Minister of Interior Marwan Charbel told al Akhbar newspaper that he is still reviewing the file and will make a decision within the coming two days.
On a similar vein, the students club of the Syrian National Social Party at the American University of Beirut organised a symbolic wedding celebration in support of civil marriage during which students carried slogans such as “civil marriage not civil war” and “civil marriage is a civil right”.
Furthermore, the Lebanese Union for Democratic Youth for its part noted that the decision of the Higher Constitutional Council consecrated several important achievements among which: the rights of citizens who do not want to belong to a confession to contract a civil marriage in Lebanon and the fact that the public notary is the official reference entitled to contract and record a civil marriage.  The Union also added that with this resolution, married couple are the sole decision makers with regards to the law they want to marry under and which will legislate their family life and, finally, that there can be no longer an obstacle towards registering this marriage in the civil registry.

Source: Al-Safir, Al-Akhbar, Al-Nahar 15 February 2013