The film tells the story of 4 Lebanese women married to non-Lebanese men, who are prevented by the current law from granting nationality to their children, and forms of violations are practiced against them and their families.
The documentary, which does not exceed minutes, starred women who presented their real experiences, and the treatment of the state and the concerned authorities with regard to the nationality of their children.
Karima Shabo, head of the “My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family” campaign, said that the movie “Baltagha” comes as a response from the concerned women to the fallacies used by Lebanese politicians to obstruct the amendment of the nationality law that is unfair to them and their families.
“The film also responds to attacks and assaults by bullies on social media platforms or in daily life, towards these women and their children,” she told Sky News Arabia.
Shabo explained that the film aims to urge women to uphold their right, and “emphasize that nationality is the right of their families, just as the Lebanese man gives it to his family completely, and it is non-negotiable.”
She emphasized that “this work embodies the vision aimed at saying that women claiming their rights are rightful owners, and they must have a platform and qualitative action in a documentary film to stand up to racism pursued by male authority, and the harm caused by bullies, with a real human rights discourse against violations, in order to correct And disprove the rumors of politicians and bullies against their cause.”
Shabo continued, “Also, amending the current nationality law, in which a Lebanese woman married to a non-Lebanese man is not entitled to give her nationality to her children, is an urgent and humane demand, in light of the world’s celebration a few days ago of International Human Rights Day.”
The spokeswoman believes that “the nationality law in Lebanon falls under the legal violence, based on gender, practiced against Lebanese women and their families.”
Regarding the number of women who married non-Lebanese men, Shabo said, “In the latest census issued by the Ministry of Interior, the total was 76,003 Lebanese women married to foreigners. But the right is not linked to a number, as it is enough for one person to suffer as a result of a discriminatory law to be changed.”
She said, “The drafts to amend the Nationality Law are now in the drawers of the House of Representatives. We need to put the draft on the Parliament’s agenda for approval immediately.”
Shebo criticized what she considered “arguments” used by Lebanese politicians to refuse to amend the law, including “disrupting the demographic balance”, “tampering with Lebanon’s privacy”, or that the issue is not a priority.
She concluded her speech by saying, “All of these arguments are flimsy and illegal. They are only based on intimidation from the other, and they all fall within the framework of racist and masculine discourse, and in order to preserve purely political and personal interests.”
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