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A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 3 december 2019
In death and life, Lebanese woman shows religious law fight

By MARIAM FAM their sect. For example, di- sectarian politics. with a scarf, said she was police station where she
Associated Press vorced Sunni mothers can "Unfortunately, this renais- so amazed she broke into was taken.
BEIRUT (AP) — Nadyn Jou- keep sons and daughters sance that we've wit- tears. "What a way to shat- "Where are we headed
ny's sister taped up two until age 12. nessed and seen on the ter taboos. I couldn't be- when our mothers die feel-
messages in her memory ing oppressed and when
inside a closet at the fam- we are depriving our chil-
ily home — one of motherly dren of their mothers when
love tinged with pain, an- they're still alive?" she said.
other of defiance. Sheikh Moussa al-Sam-
The first Jouny wrote to her moury, a judge who sits
9-year-old son on the one on one of the Shiite courts,
day a week she was al- said, "Religious matters are
lowed to see him under a not subject to street pres-
custody ruling by a Shiite sure. The issue has to do
religious court. "Peace be with God's satisfaction;
upon the holy nights when God wants this or doesn't
you fall asleep near me," want this," adding, "The
she wrote. "Peace be upon judge is not acting on a
the trace of love painted whim or on what he wants."
on your face and features But, he said, he and his fel-
... This is my night." low judges have room to
That night, Oct. 4, would consider the children's best
be her last with her son. interest on a case-by-case
Two days later, Jouny was basis. "If he's a bad father
killed in a car accident at and is not to be trusted, we
age 29. don't award him custody,"
The second message, writ- he said.
ten by a relative, has a In this Nov. 17, 2019 photo, Majida holds a photo of her daughter Nadyn Jouny as she attends a Ahmad Taleb, a Shiite cler-
photo of a smiling Jou- 40 day mourning ceremony of her death in a car accident, at their family house in southern Beirut, ic, said the solution is to re-
ny with her son's arms Lebanon. form the rules of religious
wrapped around her neck. Associated Press courts, noting that there is
"They think your voice has more than one opinion on
disappeared. Nadyn, we "Women have really borne streets lately through the lieve it," she said. "Even our the custody issue in Shiite
are your voice; get some the brunt of the sectar- leadership of women ... is men cannot talk like that." jurisprudence. He supports
rest...we will fight for you," it ian system of governance not reflected in the laws," "I would look at her and raising the maternal cus-
declares. and we see that in the she told a small group who think here's this young girl tody age to at least sev-
In death as in life, Jouny — personal status laws," said had gathered to discuss a who feels like she can en while allowing judges
affectionately called Om Lama Fakih, Human Rights KAFA-proposed draft for a change the world and she to leave the kids with the
Karam, Arabic for "mother Watch Beirut office direc- civil personal status law. is not afraid — not of a sect mother longer when it's in
of Karam" — has show- tor. "These are egregious Jouny died just before or of clerics ... What am I their best interest.
cased the struggles of abuses that are resulting in the current protests. But lacking?" Fahs said. "Religion in its essence is
Lebanese women who are violence against women, her face or name have at Lawyer Fadia Hamzeh said mercy, not plastic texts,"
battling laws that give reli- that are resulting in out- times appeared on pro- she often hears criticism he said. "People who are
gious courts say over many comes where children are testers' signs and banners. from her Shiite community religiously devout, and I
aspects of their lives. not being taken care of "The beautiful revolutionary that she is scandalizing am one of them, demand
Lebanon allows its many re- by the parent that is most ... Your soul is present here them. She founded a Face- change." He said failing
ligious sects to govern per- suited to take care of the with us," read one. At a book page called "Revo- to provide solutions within
sonal status issues in their child, where families are re- memorial marking 40 days lution of a Shiite woman" the religious context could
communities, resulting in 15 ally not well served." since her death, candles to educate women about drive people to look else-
different sets of laws over Multiple solutions and de- spelling out her name in their rights in the Shiite where. "Today in Lebanon,
such things as rules for mar- mands have been put for- Arabic lit up a main Beirut courts, share their stories there are complaints about
riage, divorce and custody ward: reform or oversight protest square. "We can- and let them know that "if religious courts of all sects,
and visitation of children. In of the religious courts, an not delay issues of women's you don't rebel, you won't Muslim and Christian."
cases of divorce for Shiite option of a civil system for rights ... Death does not get your rights." Zeina Ibrahim, who found-
Muslims like Jouny, the Shi- those who don't want to wait," read a pin on her sis- "We opened the door. Most ed a campaign to raise the
ite religious courts usually use religious courts, or a ter Nada's chest. families are suffering from age of maternal custody,
grant custody of children unified civil personal status Badia Fahs, a 49-year-old tragedies. I didn't create said she supports the idea
to the fathers at age two law for all. who has turned out for the this," she said. "We must of- of a unified civil law for per-
for sons and age seven for Protests convulsing Leba- current round of protests, fer an example for other sonal status but believes it
daughters. Jouny waged non for more than a month first met Jouny at a protest sects because just like we is a "far dream." A more at-
a campaign — online and have given a new plat- years ago. She remembers have injustices in religious tainable goal, she said, is to
in street protests — against form for those demand- a young woman, her hair courts, other sects do too." raise the age to seven for
the laws ever since she lost ing change. The protests down, wearing — Fahs Hamzeh was inspired by boys and nine for girls.
custody of her son and was erupted over proposed thought disapprovingly the ordeal of her sister, who In many of her photos, Jou-
given visitation rights of only new taxes and escalated — too much red lipstick. made news in 2016 when ny flashes a wide, seem-
24 hours a week. into calls for the removal of Jouny was chanting, "Cor- she was arrested and held ingly carefree smile that
Supporters of the system Lebanon's entire political ruption, corruption, it's un- for a few days over her re- belies the anguish her fam-
say it reflects the country's elite and its sectarian pow- derneath the turbans," a fusal to turn over her son to ily says she kept private.
plurality of faiths. Critics er-sharing system. controversial slogan she his father. Jouny, she said, "She would tell me, 'Mama,
say it discriminates against Zoya Rouhana of the femi- became known for, refer- was one of the people who I'm burning from the inside.
women of all faiths and nist organization KAFA said ring to allegations against helped her sister's case My son is getting older and
means women are treat- the myriad of personal sta- some religious judges. become public and led I know nothing about him,'"
ed differently based on tus laws is intertwined with Fahs, who covers her hair chants in a march to the her mother Majida said.q