BEIRUT: Thousands of Lebanese marched to parliament in Beirut on Sunday in a peaceful rally demanding the secularization of a state long built on sectarianism.
The rally, organized by independent grassroots movement Laique Pride, joined women, men and children of all ages who blocked the main road leading to the parliament building as they waved Lebanese flags and chanted "Secularism."
Some 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."
While Lebanon is considered more liberal than its neighbors in the largely conservative Middle East, religion still 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 Shia 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 cross out their confessional identity 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.
