“My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family” sit-in: No Mother Day celebrations until achieving rights

On the occasion of Mothers’ Day, “My Nationality is A Right for Me and My Family” campaign organized on Sunday a sit-in in Beirut central district to demand a speedy approval of the legislation granting Lebanese women the right to pass on their nationality to their family members. Over 2000 activists who came from all across Lebanon took part in the rally in support of Nabih Berri, Parliament Speaker’s, call to speed up the endorsement of the above law. Participants hoisted posters of deputies and ministers in favor of the law with a corresponding ‘like’ under their picture and a others with ‘dislike’ accompanied by negative comments so as to criticize the discriminatory attitudes of opposing officials. In this respect, many dislikes went to the foreign minister, Gebran Bassil, and MPs Hadi Hobeysh and Ne3mattallh Abi Nasr. During the protest, campaign advocate, Karima Chebbo, stated that this new action is part of the women’s ongoing struggle to press for the passing of the above law and to uphold women’s right to full citizenship and equality. And in her special addressed to House Speaker, Chebbo appealed to him to act for the endorsement of the proposed law without any discrimination. Similarly, the president of the Family Rights Network, Lawyer Iqbal Dughan, went further to call for stopping all Mothers’ Day celebrations until the adoption of the nationality law amendment, urging women to hold accountable all members of parliament in the upcoming elections according to their position towards the law amendment. The event closed with words from Kinda and Farah, two children of Lebanese women from a non-Lebanese father. Kinda and Farah demanded their rights and that of their follow citizens while crying out: “This is my right and that of my mother; enough racism.” (Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, As Safir, March 21, 2016)