I- Introduction:

A. General Background:

Marriage has been a part of human culture for a long time, as marriages were recorded as early

as 2350 B.C., a long time before the introduction of the current religions. Then, after the

introduction of religions, marriage was incorporated in the rituals that were all done “under the

eyes of god”. Thus, two forms of marriage were then recognized, civil marriage and religious

marriage. Not all countries have adopted civil marriage, Lebanon for instance, which rose many

issues.

B. Topic Sentence

In my opinion, civil marriage must be legalized in Lebanon for the following reasons: religious

norms should not affect a country’s rules, civil marriage could be done outside of Lebanon, and

it is very demanded by the Lebanese people.

II- Body:

A. First Point:

The country of Lebanon is not solely controlled by its government, it is also affected heavily by

the religious views of its prominent religions.

1. Many people have tried to appeal to the government to change the rules regarding civil

marriage, and more importantly to remove the power that religion has over the setting of

rules in Lebanon

2. The religious beliefs engraved into the minds of Lebanon’s population has normalized the

idea of banning civil marriage, which has affected the setting of any law that could help

legalize civil marriage

 B. Second Point:

The Lebanese people have found a work around the ban of civil marriage in Lebanon.

1. There have been many attempts to legalize civil marriage in Lebanon without having to

go elsewhere, but the closest they have come to their goal is the ability to get married

outside of Lebanon under a civil union, and then register their marriage in their countries

as official

C. Third Point:

1. The Lebanese citizens have, nowadays, been very public about their opinion on civil

marriage, and how it should be a part of Lebanon’s law system.

2. Many cases have shown how divorces that occur under the religious courts’ eyes have

violated the rights of women, whether it was financial security or custody of the children,

women have always been oppressed.

III- Conclusion:

A. Summary:

Civil marriage should be legalized in Lebanon, as the people of Lebanon need to differentiate

between the governments and religions influence on law making. Moreover, Lebanese people

already go out of their country to get married in a civil union, and they want to be able to do so

in their own country

B. Importance:

Civil marriage must be incorporated in Lebanon’s law system, and it must also be legalized to

the full extent, as that’s what the people want

C. Closing Statement:
The Lebanese people are ready for change, and the country is in dire need of a renovation in the

political and cultural sectors. Thus, legalizing civil marriage will be a step in the right direction