Beirut, April 25: Thousands of Lebanese marched to parliament in Beirut on Sunday in a peaceful rally demanding the secularisation of a state long built on sectarianism.
The rally, organised by the movement Laique Pride, joined women, men and children of all ages who blocked the main road leading to parliament as they waved Lebanese flags and chanted, “Secularism.”
“Change must come from us,” an organiser cried through a loudspeaker outside parliament, where police set up barricades to prevent demonstrators from reaching the building. “Only we citizens can do this.”
Amid tight security, activists distributed red roses while others raised banners that read: “Civil marriage, not civil war” and “Fatima and Tony love each other… That’s a problem,” a reference to the fact that civil marriage is not an option in sectarian Lebanon.
Gay rights activists too made a strong show in the rally, waving gay pride flags and banners that read: “Queers for secularism.”
“This rally is symbolic, even though it will have little to no political impact,” said a 24-year-old man who gave his name only as Hani, as he joined the march.
“What’s important is that all marginalised groups are here today demanding a state for all human beings.”
Religion plays a key role in the tiny Mediterranean country which is home to no less than 18 different religious communities.
The Lebanese state is based on a complex power-sharing system fostered decades ago in an attempt to preserve the rights of the country’s many minorities.
Under the system, the president is a Maronite Christian, the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim and the prime minister a Sunni Muslim.
Seats in government and parliament are also equally divided among Christians and Muslims.
Rights groups have been pushing for a secular state since the end of Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, a sectarian bloodbath that saw many killed at roadblocks based on the religion noted on their ID cards.
In an unprecedented move last year, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, known as a champion of secularism and civil rights, allowed citizens to remove their religion from official records and replace it with a slash sign.
But civil marriage is still not an option in Lebanon, leaving the Lebanese with no choice but to resort to church or mosque, or seek a civil union in nearby countries like Cyprus.
—Agencies