“My choice is still the same today and I don\u2019t see it changing in the future; I\u2019m adamant on having a civil marriage despite how unattainable it is in Lebanon.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I remember clearly, early on in my life, always saying that if I ever decided to get married, I would have a civil marriage not a religious one. My family would get really upset, but then say \u201cshe\u2019ll get over it, she\u2019s too young now to decide anyway.\u201d I don\u2019t know where I got the idea of a civil marriage, given the fact that I lived my entire life in a village, before I moved to the city at 17 years old. My background was always religious and had no space for \u201coutside\u201d thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My choice is still the same today and I don\u2019t see it changing in the future; I\u2019m adamant on having a civil marriage despite how unattainable it is in Lebanon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A civil marriage means to be legally married according to the civil court. In Lebanon, there are no civil courts, and therefore no civil marriages. People are forced to marry in religious courts, and their personal lives are forever tied to religious legislation. There is also the issue of personal status laws, which vary based on sect, meaning Lebanon has more than 15 different personal status laws. This leaves most citizens unprotected, and unequal by law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, two people from different religions cannot get married unless one of them converts their religion to the other\u2019s, in order to have a religious marriage. Ironically, not all religions allow this to happen. And that\u2019s not even the worst part of the monopoly religious courts hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a legal perspective, it\u2019s not like there exists a law that explicitly bans civil marriage. The real problem is the existence of an incomplete marriage law. Law 60LR basically does not tell people how to marry civilly, but only states that if someone were to have a civil marriage abroad, it is considered legal in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In practice, the main civil marriage destinations for Lebanese citizens are Cyprus and Turkey. What this means is that Lebanese citizens are given an ultimatum when it comes to their private and personal lives: either have a civil marriage abroad \u2013 something reserved for those who can afford it \u2013 or have a religious marriage in Lebanon and subject yourselves to unequal and unfair laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The accessibility of civil marriage has negative effects on all Lebanese citizens, but particularly women. For me, the case of Liliane Cheaito is a striking and clear example of how harsh this system can be. Liliane was severely injured after the August 4 Beirut port blast. She is confined to her hospital bed to this day, more than three years later, unable to speak or walk due to a head injury she sustained during the explosion that severely damaged her frontal cortex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n