Refugee Review Tribunal

AUSTRALIA

RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE

Research Response Number: LBN17810 Country: Date: 7 March 2006

Keywords: Lebanon – – Citizenship – Alawis – Christians

This response was prepared by the Country Research Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Questions 1. Would a Syrian national by birth lose Syrian citizenship upon becoming a naturalised Lebanese citizen? 2. Is there any evidence of discrimination by the Lebanese authorities (in particular, local Tripoli authorities) against Alawis or Christians in favour of Sunni Muslims? 3. Is there any evidence of discrimination by the Lebanese authorities (in particular, local Tripoli authorities) against Christians in favour of Sunni Muslims?

RESPONSE

1. Would a Syrian national by birth lose Syrian citizenship upon becoming a naturalised Lebanese citizen?

A Syrian national by birth would not lose Syrian citizenship upon becoming a naturalised Lebanese citizen.

According to the US Office of Personnel Management, Syria recognises dual citizenship (United States Office of Personnel Management 2001, Citizenship Laws of the World, March, p.192 – Attachment 1).

According to an official at the Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in Washington DC, Syria allows dual citizenship with Lebanon (Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 1997, SYR26988.E – Syria: Information on whether Syria permits dual citizenship with Lebanon, 3 June http://www.irb.gc.ca/cgi-bin/foliocgi.exe/refinfo_e – Accessed 15 February 2006 – Attachment 2).

Syria’s Legislative Decree No 276 is included as Attachment 3. It provides further information on Syrian citizenship (Legislative Decree No 276 and its Amendments No 17 of 13 February 1972, translated by Ibrahim H Hourany for the Canadian Department of External Affairs – Attachment 3).

2. Is there any evidence of discrimination by the Lebanese authorities (in particular, local Tripoli authorities) against Alawis in favour of Sunni Muslims?

The US Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report 2005 provides the following useful background information on religion in Lebanon:

• The Constitution provides for freedom of religion; • There is no state religion; • New Year, Armenian Christmas, Eid al-Adha, St Maroun Day, the Muslim New Year, Ashura, Good Friday, Eastern and Western Easter, the birth of the Prophet, All Saints’ Day, Feast of the Assumption, Eid al-Fitr and Christmas are national holidays; • The President is a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister is a Sunni Muslim and the Speaker of Parliament is a Shi’a Muslim; • Christians and Muslims are represented equally in Parliament, the Cabinet and first category civil service positions; • Seats in Parliament and the Cabinet and civil service posts are distributed proportionally among the 18 recognised religious groups; • Lebanon’s “confessionally-based political system merges various political and religious interests, with occasional consequences that can be interpreted as either political or religious discrimination”; • The relationship between religions in Lebanon is “generally amicable…however, there were periodic reports of friction between religious groups, which may be attributed to political or religious differences, and citizens still struggled with the legacy of a 15-year civil war fought largely along religious lines” (US Department of State 2005, International Religious Freedom Report 2005 – Lebanon, 8 November – Attachment 4).

No evidence of discrimination, by the Lebanese authorities against Alawis (also known as Alawites) in favour of Sunni Muslims, was found amongst the sources consulted.

According to the US Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report 2005, Alawites are one of the 18 recognised religious groups in Lebanon (US Department of State 2005, International Religious Freedom Report 2005 – Lebanon, 8 November – Attachment 4).

According to Barry Rubin, director of the Global Research in International Affairs Centre and editor of The Middle East Review of International Affairs, the Alawites are allocated two of the 128 seats in Parliament (Rubin, Barry 2006, ‘Getting to Arab Democracy: Dealing with Communalism’, Journal of Democracy, January, The Global Research in International Affairs Centre website, footnote 7 http://gloria.idc.ac.il/columns/2006/rubin/journal%20of%20democracy.html – Accessed 7 March 2006 – Attachment 5).

According to the European Union Election Observation Mission, in the 2005 parliamentary election the successful Alawites were Mustapha Ali Hussein in North I Akkar and Badr Wanous in North II Tripoli. Mustapha and Badr are both part of the Hariri Parliamentary Bloc led by Saadeddine Hariri, a Sunni by confession:

Constit. Name Confession Current List Political Votes Parliamentary Affiliation Bloc North I Mustapha Alawite National Future 87 966 Hariri’s Bloc Akkar Ali Union – 14th Movement Hussein March North II Badr Alawite Reconciliation Independent 89688 Independent/ Tripoli Wanous and Reform Hariri (European Union Election Observation Mission 2005, Parliamentary Elections Lebanon 2005 Final Report, European Union website, Annex 1, pp.63-64 http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/human_rights/eu_election_ass_observ/lebanon/f inal_report.pdf – Accessed 7 March 2006 – Attachment 6).

An article dated 20 June 2005 by BBC News reports that the anti-Syrian opposition Hariri Bloc won 72 of the 128 seats in Parliament. The article notes that Saad Hariri is the son of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri who was killed in a car bomb in February 2005 (‘Lebanon opposition wins assembly’ 2005, BBC News, 20 June http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4112946.stm – Accessed 7 March 2006 – Attachment 7).

No further information on the treatment of Alawites in Lebanon was found amongst the sources consulted.

3. Is there any evidence of discrimination by the Lebanese authorities (in particular, local Tripoli authorities) against Christians in favour of Sunni Muslims?

No evidence of discrimination, by the Lebanese authorities against Christians in favour of Sunni Muslims, was found amongst the sources consulted.

For information on religion in Lebanon please refer to Question 2.

According to Barry Rubin, director of the Global Research in International Affairs Centre and editor of The Middle East Review of International Affairs, Christians are allocated 64 of the 128 seats in Parliament: 34 Maronite Christian, 14 Greek Orthodox, 8 Greek Catholic, 5 Armenian Orthodox, 1 Armenian Catholic, 1 Protestant and 1 Other Christian (Rubin, Barry 2006, ‘Getting to Arab Democracy: Dealing with Communalism’, Journal of Democracy, January, The Global Research in International Affairs Centre website, footnote 7 http://gloria.idc.ac.il/columns/2006/rubin/journal%20of%20democracy.html – Accessed 7 March 2006 – Attachment 5).

The following reports and articles provide information on recent incidents involving Christians and Christian areas in Lebanon. Please note that while there have been attacks on Christians and Christian areas in Lebanon, it is not clear whether the motive/s behind the attack/s is political and/or religious:

• An article dated 15 February 2006 in The Christian Science Monitor reports that Christians, Sunni Muslims and participated in a rally marking the anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The article notes that other than formal delegations, Lebanon’s Shiites were absent (Blanford, Nicholas 2006, ‘Lebanon remembers Hariri’, Christian Science Monitor, 15 February http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0215/p06s02-wome.html – Accessed 2 March 2006 – Attachment 8); • An article dated 13 February 2006 by Compass reports that a Maronite church and the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox archbishop were vandalised during the 5 February 2006 anti-cartoon protests in . The article quotes Maronite Archbishop Paul Youssef Matar as saying that the Lebanese government’s lack of protection for Christians was “unacceptable” (‘Solidarity Shown at Priest’s Memorial Service in Turkey – Other Christians in Muslim countries targeted with anti-cartoon anger’ 2006, Compass, 13 February, International Christian Concern website http://www.christianresponse.org/articles/279/solidarity-shown-at-priests-memorial- service-in-turkey – Accessed 2 March 2006 – Attachment 9); • An article dated 6 February 2006 in Worthy News reports that during anti-cartoon protests in Beirut, stones were thrown at a Maronite church and protestors attacked properties in the Christian area of Ashrafiyeh. The article also notes that the “attacks came as Lebanon’s Christians were already on edge amid reports that the name of Lebanon’s Christian Maronite Patriarch, Butros Nasrallah Sfeir appeared on a hit-list uncovered by a United Nations commission probing the assassination of forme Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri” (Bos, Stefan J. 2006, ‘Lebanon Christians Attacked, Church Stoned, By Angry Muslims’, Worthy News, source: BosNewsLife, 6 February http://www.worthynews.com/news/worthynews-com-christian-lebanon-christians- attacked-church-stoned-by-angry-muslims-/ – Accessed 3 March 2006 – Attachment 10); • An article dated 13 December 2005 by BBC News reports that since the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005, “at least 14 blasts explosions have been carried out against Christian and anti-Syrian targets” (‘Beirut mourns dead press magnate’ 2005, BBC News, 13 December http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4523886.stm – Accessed 2 March 2006 – Attachment 11); • An article dated 12 December 2005 by Aljazeera reports that anti-Syrian journalist and Lebanese Christian lawmaker Jebran Tueni was killed in an explosion in al Mukhallis, a Christian suburb northeast of Beirut. The article notes that at least ten cars were destroyed and three people killed (‘Lebanon blast kills anti-Syria lawmaker’ 2005, Aljazeera, 12 December http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2E23D695-5F77-4FCA-8CCC- 636057B92A57.htm – Accessed 3 March 2006 – Attachment 12); • An article dated 1 October 2005 by Reuters reports that Lebanese security forces found the makings of an explosive device attached to the car of Christian Judge Nazim Khoury (‘Attack on Lebanese judge foiled-security forces’ 2005, Reuters News, 1 October – Attachment 13); • An article dated 17 September 2005 by BBC News reports that an explosion in Ashrafiya, an area of Beirut with a large Christian population, killed one person and injured at least 22 (‘Explosion hits Lebanese capital’ 2005, BBC News, 17 September http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4254828.stm – Accessed 2 March 2006 – Attachment 14); • An article dated 23 August 2005 in The Daily Star reports on a bomb blast in Zalka, one of Beirut’s Christian suburbs, which injured at least five people and caused extensive damage (Zaaroura, Mayssam 2005, ‘Bombing terror returns to Lebanon’, Daily Star, 23 August – Attachment 15); • An article dated 16 August 2005 in Khaleej Times reports that Lebanon’s Parliament voted to reopen MTV, a Christian-owned private television station that was closed in 2002 after prosecutors accused the station of “disturbing Lebanon’s ties with Syria, hurting the president’s dignity, slandering security agencies and disturbing the peace in the country” (‘Lebanese parliament votes to reopen anti-Syrian TV station’ 2005, Khaleej Times, 16 August – Attachment 16); • An article dated 21 June 2005 by BBC News reports that George Hawi, a Christian and opponent of Syria “died when his car blew up as he drove through the Wata Musaitbi district” (‘Blast kills Lebanese politician’ 2005, BBC News, 21 June http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4113898.stm – Accessed 3 March 2006 – Attachment 17); • Question 1 off RRT Research Response LBN17345 dated 19 May 2005 provides an overview of recent developments affecting Christians in Lebanon (RRT Country Research 2005, Research Response LBN17345, 19 May – Attachment 18).

List of Sources Consulted

Internet Sources: Government Information & Reports Embassy of Lebanon, Washington DC http://www.lebanonembassyus.org/ European Union http://europa.eu.int/index_en.htm Immigration & Refugee Board of Canada http://www.irb.gc.ca/ UK Home Office http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk US Department of State http://www.state.gov/ United Nations (UN) UNHCR http://www.unhchr.ch/ Non-Government Organisations Amnesty International http://www.amnesty.org/ Freedom House http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=1 Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/ International Crisis Group http://www.crisisweb.org/ International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights http://www.ihf-hr.org/welcome.php Minorities at Risk Project http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/inscr/mar/data.asp Minority Rights Group International http://www.minorityrights.org/ Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty http://www.rferl.org Relief Web http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf Reporters Without Borders http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=20 International News & Politics Aljazeera http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk Christian Science Monitor http://csmonitor.com/ Daily Star http://www.dailystar.com.lb/home2.asp Lebanonwire http://www.lebanonwire.com/ Middle East Times http://www.metimes.com/ Topic Specific Links Christian Solidarity Worldwide http://www.csw.org.uk/ Compass Direct http://www.compassdirect.org/en/index.php International Christian Concern http://www.persecution.org/ International Coalition for Religious Freedom http://www.religiousfreedom.com/ Voice of the Martyrs http://www.persecution.com.au/ Worthy News http://worthynews.com/ Zenit http://www.zenit.org/english/ Search Engines Google http://www.google.com.au/ Staggernation http://www.staggernation.com/cgi-bin/gaps.cgi

Databases: Public FACTIVA Reuters Business Briefing DIMIA BACIS Country Information REFINFO IRBDC Research Responses (Canada) RRT ISYS RRT Country Research database, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. RRT Library FIRST RRT Library Catalogue

List of Attachments

1. United States Office of Personnel Management 2001, Citizenship Laws of the World, March.

2. Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 1997, SYR26988.E – Syria: Information on whether Syria permits dual citizenship with Lebanon, 3 June. (http://www.irb.gc.ca/cgi- bin/foliocgi.exe/refinfo_e – Accessed 15 February 2006)

3. Legislative Decree No 276 and its Amendments No 17 of 13 February 1972, translated by Ibrahim H Hourany for the Canadian Department of External Affairs.

4. US Department of State 2005, International Religious Freedom Report 2005 – Lebanon, 8 November.

5. Rubin, Barry 2006, ‘Getting to Arab Democracy: Dealing with Communalism’, Journal of Democracy, January, The Global Research in International Affairs Centre website. (http://gloria.idc.ac.il/columns/2006/rubin/journal%20of%20democracy.html – Accessed 7 March 2006)

6. European Union Election Observation Mission 2005, Parliamentary Elections Lebanon 2005 Final Report, European Union website. (http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/human_rights/eu_election_ass_observ/leba non/final_report.pdf – Accessed 7 March 2006)

7. ‘Lebanon opposition wins assembly’ 2005, BBC News, 20 June. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4112946.stm – Accessed 7 March 2006)

8. Blanford, Nicholas 2006, ‘Lebanon remembers Hariri’, Christian Science Monitor, 15 February. (http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0215/p06s02-wome.html – Accessed 2 March 2006)

9. ‘Solidarity Shown at Priest’s Memorial Service in Turkey – Other Christians in Muslim countries targeted with anti-cartoon anger’ 2006, Compass, 13 February, International Christian Concern website. (http://www.christianresponse.org/articles/279/solidarity- shown-at-priests-memorial-service-in-turkey – Accessed 2 March 2006)

10. Bos, Stefan J. 2006, ‘Lebanon Christians Attacked, Church Stoned, By Angry Muslims’, Worthy News, source: BosNewsLife, 6 February. (http://www.worthynews.com/news/worthynews-com-christian-lebanon-christians- attacked-church-stoned-by-angry-muslims-/ – Accessed 3 March 2006)

11. ‘Beirut mourns dead press magnate’ 2005, BBC News, 13 December. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4523886.stm – Accessed 2 March 2006)

12. ‘Lebanon blast kills anti-Syria lawmaker’ 2005, Aljazeera, 12 December. (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2E23D695-5F77-4FCA-8CCC- 636057B92A57.htm – Accessed 3 March 2006)

13. ‘Attack on Lebanese judge foiled-security forces’ 2005, Reuters News, 1 October. (FACTIVA)

14. ‘Explosion hits Lebanese capital’ 2005, BBC News, 17 September. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4254828.stm – Accessed 2 March 2006)

15. Zaaroura, Mayssam 2005, ‘Bombing terror returns to Lebanon’, Daily Star, 23 August.

16. ‘Lebanese parliament votes to reopen anti-Syrian TV station’ 2005, Khaleej Times, 16 August.

17. ‘Blast kills Lebanese politician’ 2005, BBC News, 21 June. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4113898.stm – Accessed 3 March 2006)

18. RRT Country Research 2005, Research Response LBN17345, 19 May.