Daily Star - Ngo Presses For Women Nationality Rights

By The Daily Star

BEIRUT: Humanitarian group Wehdatouna Khalasouna called for granting Lebanese women the right to pass their nationality on to their children and voiced their support for the fight of Samira Soueidan. The group issued a statement over the weekend in which it offered Soueidan its support and demanded that her rights be respected. Soueidan filed a lawsuit five years ago demanding her four children be granted citizenship rights following the death of her Egyptian husband. Her demand was approved but later overturned by the Court of Cassation. Lebanese law permits men to pass on their nationality to their non-Lebanese wives and children but bars women married to non-Lebanese from doing the same. “We ask that restrictions on passing the Lebanese nationality be the same for men and women,” the gathering said, giving the example of being able to pass the nationality after the couple has proved to be married and living together for three or five years. The group added: “Paragraph C of the Constitution’s preamble mentions that the Lebanese republic is based on the respect of social justice, equality of rights and duties among all citizens without discrimination.” – The Daily Star