Bassil: Equality is a right but NOT for Syrians and Palestinians

Women and civil society organisations continue to be concerned with issues related to women's rights whereas politicians continue for their part to express chauvinist and racist views and positions.  Indeed, in his most recent statements, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gebran Bassil, who was speaking at “Lebanese Diaspora Energy Regional conference held in New York”,  noted that "whereas we heard clapping for women's rights to transmit nationality in the case of women married married to non-nationals, I too support this because there is no difference between women and men".  However, Bassil rushed to add "because our Lebanon is like this, I will not give Lebanese nationality to 400000 Palestinians because of we want to safeguard Lebanon, we must have exclusions and exceptions".  Bassil also added that this right should "not be granted to Palestinians and Syrians lest Lebanon will loose its identity".  In a related vein, the recent statement of MP Elie Marouni justifying violence against women caused a rift within the hosting organisation, RDFL, where 20 of its members presented a collective resignation from the organisation and who condemned the "campaign against MP Marouni" according to a statement issued by their regional president May Wakim who spoke to the An Nahar newspaper.

(Al-Diyyar, Al-Nahar, Al-Hayat 17, 19 September 2016)

 

Related news 

Women in Front call on Kataeb to kick out MP Maruni

MP Maruni faces wide condemnations for his statement regarding violence against women