*This post was wishful thinking*

Good morning, Lebanon! And Happy International Women’s Day! I am writing from New York city, where I have been attending sessions at the 54th Commission for the Status of Women. Rumors had been going around since last week that the Lebanese government is going to pass the amendment to the nationality law, granting women the right to pass on the Lebanese nationality to their children and husbands. And the rumors turned out to be true! They are passing the law today!!

Taken from Nationality Campaign's Blog

What a coincidence, just yesterday I attended a panel by WLP with two prominent Arab feminists (Amal Abdel Hadi from Egypt and Lina Abou Habib from Lebanon) who talked about the regional campaign to lift CEDAW reservations. And now our long-awaited dream is finally here:

A Lebanese woman is now a full Lebanese citizen: she can give the Lebanese nationality to her husband and to her son. Congratulations on a right long overdue!

It is said that Minister Mona Afeiche will be announcing this wonderful piece of news later today, March 8, as the world celebrates 100 years since the idea of International Women’s Day was born. What a happy occasion for all Lebanese women to celebrate!

Of course we were all concerned that the Lebanese government would be racist and exclude Palestinians from this human right, but, indeed, they have lived up to their duties and have not excluded anyone. Excellent job, 7oukoumitna! Good for you! Finally, ONE THING the Lebanese government has done that has made me proud. Bravo finally acknowledging that women are human beings too and that they deserve the same rights as men. Bravo for rising above your pettiness and stupid out-of-date political debates. Bravo Lebanon!

I don’t have much information to share at this point, but those of you in Lebanon should contact:

• Ministry of Social Affairs +961-1-612870
• Ministry of Finance (just cos Raya Haffar Al Hassan is a woman and we must congratulate her) +961-1-642758
• Ministry of Interior (because Ziad Baroud has been backing us up for a long time and we must thank him) +961-1-754200
• Prime Minister (if you want to thank Saad Hariri himself) +961-1-746800

Looking forward to reading the papers and analysis about this tomorrow. And for today, happy women’s day all the way from a freezing United Nations.

For those of you who missed my live tweeting entertainment last night, here they are: the questions asked by the jury on Mr & Miss Beirut 2009 on Future TV. They have NOT been altered in any way to make them more comic (or tragic). My comments in red.

• Would you become a singer if you had a bad voice? Or would you not?
• Would you rather win the title or win the lottery?
• How does beauty serve our great city, Beirut?
• Beirut is world book capital – how will you build on that if you win tonight? Perhaps you will write a book? Oh, perhaps he means you will read a book?
  
• Lebanon is living a beauty renaissance with the boom of plastic surgery. Do u prefer using it only to enhance one’s features or are you pro changing one’s features completely? Again, I swear, that was the question.
• Are you for or against men enhancing their beauty at beauty salons?
• What is success?
• Is tourism in Lebanon important or has it become annoying?
• As a man, when they told you you’re gonna be on a beauty pageant, what was your reaction? Why would someone tell him – did he not decide on his own?
  
• Beirut is world book capital and we are here on the same stage that announced that amazing title and we are all participating in something just as amazing, so what do you say to Beirut on this occasion? Yes, it’s practically the same glorious occasion.
• Lebanon has a heritage of great journalists. If you are crowned Mr. Beirut, how will journalists help you & how will you help yourself? Yes, Lebanon’s heritage of great journalists is just waiting to write about Mr. Beirut. This guy’s answer was so amazing that it merits mention.
  • Answer: Ana jeyi min Amerka so akeed baddi jeeb ishya w afkar min Amerka ma3i 3a Beirut. Yes, that was his answer.
• Who is better: he who looks angry and intimidates people or he who is always smiling? >:( vs.
• What does beauty mean to you in two words?
• What is the greatest challenge facing youth today? Ok this guy actually replied something smart about climate change and the failure of world leaders at the Copenhagen summit.
• What do you think of the proverb “sois belle et tais-toi”?

Proof that I was watching on TV and not actually at the event

Final Question to 5 boy finalists: If you were a Lebanese Member of Parliament for 24 hours, what would you do?

Answers:

• Lebanon is great as it is.. but I would work on security like Ziad Baroud, he is a great na2ib and I admire him. Ummmm.. Ziad Baroud is not an MP, dude, he’s a minister.
• 24 hours is not enough for someone like me who can do amazing things for the country, but I would fix all the juvenile prisons
• <pause> I would take care of the financing.. cos since I came to Lebanon from Amerka, I’ve seen kids begging on the street and I’ve been thinking that Lebanese people should have social security
• I will take care of children with cancer and homeless people.. and all the poor people in Lebanon
• I would demand that on one day we stop all cars and all factories, maybe we can help the environment.

Final Question to 5 girl finalists: Describe Beirut in 30 seconds.

Answers:

• Beirut sitt al donya and the most beautiful Arab country & we have tourism
• Beirut is the link between East and West, it is the heart of Lebanon and the mother and everything
• Beirut is the capital of Lebanon as we all know… 
• 30 seconds is not enough.. but I will try.. Beirut is thousands of years of civilization.. of course 30 seconds is not enough for me to describe it.
• Beirut is the capital of all Lebanese.. those in Lebanon & those living abroad.. Beirut is the world book capital 2009 and that’s very important.

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Thank you for this amazing tribute to our great city of Beirut. I am sure its great heritage is in safe hands. Oh, and by the way, in case you didn’t know, Beirut was the world book capital in 2009.