Civil Marriage supporters gather in Beirut's Martyr Square

Activists supporting civil marriage gathered on Monday in Beirut's Martyr Square.   

They called for the adoption and legalization of civil marriage in Lebanon.                

In this context, activists praised the step that Kholoud Sukkariyah and Nidal Darwish took for being the first couple to engage in a civil marriage on Lebanese territory                      

Activists in support of legalizing civil marriage in Lebanon have been calling for demonstrations over the controversial subject in light of Nidal Darwiche and Kholoud Succariyeh’s civil union a month back.                     

Nidal and Kholoud had deleted mention of their religious identity from their civil registration document in hopes of making their union official awaiting the Interior Ministry’s formal recognition of their marriage document.      

Religious authorities are split on the issue, officially recognizing 18 different sects in the country.                 

The hardest opposition to civil marriage has come from the country’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rachid Qabbani, with the Sunni preacher issuing an edict, or fatwa, on the matter warning Muslim politicians and ministers not to support introducing civil weddings.                      

In this light, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he believes that “now is not the right time” for the issue to be discussed, referring to the tumultuous incidents overtaking the country.           

Most Sunni and Shiite preachers have taken firm stances against the issue leaving Christian spiritual figures with a far greater willingness to consider civil unions outside religious institutions.           

President Michel Sleiman voiced his support for its adoption, saying the Constitution guarantees it as a civil right.        

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri also voiced support for civil weddings and criticized the grand mufti over his stances on the subject.