Ring the Changes : One innovative couple pave the way to civil marriage in Lebanon
Wedding bells are ringing out for change in Lebanon. On 10 November 2012 Kholoud Succariyeh and Nidal Darwish became the first couple in Lebanon to tie the knot by way of civil marriage. They were married before a notary in Beirut, after having their respective sects removed from their official documents, the only way the bride and groom could marry in Lebanon without the religious authorities officiating. Under Lebanese law, marriages can only be performed by a religious authority, such as a church or Islamic court. In Lebanon civil marriage does not officially exist, yet.
