When Druze live among people of other religions, they try to blend in, in order to protect their religion and their own safety. In a religious marriage the rights and obligations between husband and wife are not equal as in a Dutch civil marriage. But the fact is she married through the Jaafarite Court which stipulates that fathers get custody of boys older than 2 years. These systems are: the Judicial court system known as kadaa’ dli, the administrative court system known as Majlis al-Shura, the military court system, and ; the religious court … Nonrecognized religious groups may own property and may assemble for worship and perform their religious rites freely. powered by Disqus. by Liisa Tuhkanen | Thomson Reuters Foundation Monday, 19 January 2015 17:35 GMT. For centuries, diverse religious traditions have shared this land, creating a rich mosaic of religious beliefs and a unique multicultural society. 05, 2021, Pictures of the day [5][6][7] Lebanon's constitution was intended to guarantee political representation for each of the nation's ethno-religious groups. Advertisement. Mar. [40] During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Protestant missionaries established schools and churches in Druze strongholds, with some Druze converting to Protestant Christianity;[41] yet they did not succeed to convert Druze to Christianity en masse. Lebanon is an ancient land that has been at the heart of the growth of two of the world’s major religions, Christianity and Islam. [35] The clashes started in Aytat, near Kayfoun and soon expanded to cover many spots in Mount Lebanon including Baysur, Shuweifat and Aley. For those of the Druze faith, their future depends on it", https://books.google.ca/books?id=wXO8AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA97, "Are the Druze People Arabs or Muslims? It is bordered on the north and east by Syria and on the south by Israel with a total area of about 4,014 square miles. The Druze call themselves Ahl al-Tawhid "People of Unitarianism or Monotheism" or "al-Muwaḥḥidūn. Religious courts, international law clash in custody case (Family handout) RSS; Follow; Email; Print; Share; Victoria Yan | The Daily Star * * A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on January 19, 2019, on page 3. 2- the various confessions; knowing that Lebanon comprises 18 religious confessions, and each has the right to legislate, to issue private laws in the field of Personal Status. ", "The Druze follow a lifestyle of isolation where no conversion is allowed, neither out of, or into, the religion. You can only conclude a religious marriage at the church or islamic court. [10], The Druze faith does not follow the Five Pillars of Islam, such as fasting during the month of Ramadan, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Religion plays a big role in politics; some researchers describe the political system in Lebanon as "coming out of the womb of religion and politics". A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on January 19, 2019, on page 3. [45], relationship between the Druze and Christians, 1585 Ottoman expedition against the Druze, Lebanon 2015 International Religious Freedom Report, "Finding a life partner is hard enough. Lebanese Druze (Arabic: دروز لبنان‎, romanized: durūz lubnān) are Druze people with Lebanese citizenship. Go. Lebanon - Lebanon - Government and society: Modern Lebanon is a unitary multiparty republic with a parliamentary system of government. Please note that surnames, dates and location of the crime have been omitted from the extract. [36], Lebanese Christians and Druze became a genetic isolate in the predominantly Islamic world. Despite its small size, Leba… Before and during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–90), the Druze were in favor of Pan-Arabism and Palestinian resistance represented by the PLO. Religious courts. Freedom of religion in Lebanon. The Maronite Catholic and the Druze founded modern Lebanon in the early eighteenth century, through the ruling and social system known as the "Maronite-Druze dualism" in Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate. The present Lebanese Constitution officially acknowledges 18 religious groups (see below). (Beirut) – Lebanon’s religion-based personal status laws discriminate against women across the religious spectrum and don’t guarantee their … The Druze faith is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion, and an ethnoreligious[1] esoteric group originating from the Near East who self identify as unitarians (Arabic: موحدين‎, romanized: muwaḥḥidīn).[2]. It gives a comprehensive image of the state of affairs within the country. Until now this is likely one of the best sites on lebanon it shows every facet of the nation. For Shiites, fathers automatically gain full custody of boys aged 2 years old. The religious court system in Lebanon is composed of the court systems of eighteen recognized denominations covering the three main religions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Set against a backdrop of the Beiteddine castle, the festival spans three months and is a feast of music, drama and art. Alert: If you are facing problems with posting comments, please note that you must verify your email with Disqus prior to posting a comment. Situated in the Middle East, Lebanon is a small country on the east coast of the Mediterranean. And successive governments have been in effect run by tribal chiefs … The Christians of Lebanon are politically not a united group. Please read my first post on this thread. The Lebanese Druze people are believed to constitute about 5.2 percent[3] of the total population of Lebanon and have around 1.5 million members worldwide. Marriage ceremonies, for example, are only performed under the authority of a religious leader. Family law in Lebanon falls exclusively under the jurisdiction of religious courts, meaning each sect dictates rules regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance and custody. comments [8], The Maronite Catholic and the Druze founded modern Lebanon in the early eighteenth century, through the ruling and social system known as the "Maronite-Druze dualism" in Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate. Lebanon’s population is about six million including about two million Palestinian and Syrian refugees. 1 Extract from a Court of Cassation document substituting for a Criminal Court in Mount Lebanon, regarding the case of a man who killed his wife. [3] Lebanon has the world's second largest Druze population, after Syria. Jumblatt's post-2005 position diverged sharply from the tradition of his family. 1 month...$12 | 3 months...$30 | 6 months...$55 | 1 year...$99. We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article. Is it time to stand up to the religious courts in Lebanon? [18][19], Historically the relationship between the Druze and Muslims has been characterized by intense persecution. When it comes to personal status matters such as marriage, inheritance, and child custody, each Lebanese is subject to the laws and courts pertaining to their religious community. 167/2006-source, 273/2006-ruling). In August 2001, Maronite Catholic Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir toured the predominantly Druze Chouf region of Mount Lebanon and visited Mukhtara, the ancestral stronghold of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. Without official recognition, members of unregistered religions cannot marry, divorce or inherit according to their own rules, nor in a civil court since the latter does not exist for issues pertaining to personal status. ... Christian, and Druze confessions have state-appointed, government-subsidized clerical courts that administer family and personal status law. 04, 2021. Lebanon: Religious courts, international law clash in custody case: Victoria Yan| The Daily Star BEIRUT: On May 15, 2015, Jolly Bimbachi hugged her sons Omar and Abdel-Ghaniy goodbye as they prepared to leave Canada with their father, Bimbachi’s then-husband Ali Ahmad, for a vacation to Lebanon. A separate judicial system rules on common-law criminal cases. After the assassination of Kamal Jumblatt on 16 March 1977, his son Walid Jumblatt took the leadership of the party and played an important role in preserving his father's legacy after winning the Mountain War and sustained the existence of the Druze community during the sectarian bloodshed that lasted until 1990. Lebanon's legal code is largely secular, but personal status laws give religious authorities control of many civil affairs. Mar. Lebanon's religious courts are failing women, HRW says . Comments. Eid al-Fitr. The father is acting according to the law. The BBC describes Jumblatt as "the smartest leader of Lebanon's most powerful Druze clan and heir to a leftist political dynasty". Religious figures have plenty of authority in Lebanon since spiritual courts decide on many points regarding people' rights and privileges. [29][30] The persecution of the Druze included massacres, demolishing Druze prayer houses and holy places and forced conversion to Islam. العربية; English; 26-7-2016 . KAWS opens in Brooklyn, Rug hunters risk death in search for Afghanistan's last antique carpets, Warner Music invests in Rotana Music, Middle East's biggest label, Sex tape satire bags Berlinale’s Golden Bear, Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk releases art book, Sudanese couple in Egypt help feed struggling fellow migrants, Race, title and anguish: Meghan and Harry explain royal rift, Austria suspends AstraZeneca vaccine batch after death, Russia scores points with vaccine diplomacy, but snags arise, Mars rover Perseverance takes first spin on surface of red planet, Mesmerizing View of a Perfect Moonlit Night, The Scenic Modern City of Maladora – New Age Marvel. [20][21][22] The Druze faith is often classified as a branch of Isma'ili.