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Lebanese protestors march in favor of civil marriage

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Hundreds of Lebanese students and civil marriage activists marched on Sunday from the American University of Beirut to the Interior Ministry building, demanding that Lebanon institute civil marriage.

Protestors held signs targeting Minister Nouhad Machnouk, who has been accused of intentionally blocking the official recognition of civil marriage contracts performed in Lebanon.

But Machnouk says the issue is not “administrative decision-making” and therefore, not his decision.

“The solution lies only with a civil law regarding personal status issues,” Machnouk said in remarks published by Al-Akhbar. “Let them go to Parliament and demand a civil law on personal status, then I will be the first one to sign.”

The protesters called for secularism and civil rights, which they say is being denied in Lebanon by banning civil marriages.

The Interior Ministry issued a statement last month, however, saying that the 1936 law that legalizes civil marriage specifies the need for an official process that must be decreed by the Cabinet before the law can be implemented.

Activists claim these are excuses by Lebanese lawmakers to keep religious sectarianism carved in the system.

“We are currently in a state of war,” spokesperson Talal Husseini said during a press conference at Beirut’s Press Club. “The truth is that the Interior Ministry is abstaining from registering contracts of civil marriages performed in Lebanon and is violating the law of coexistence and the freedom and equality of the Lebanese.”

The Sunday protest was organized by two clubs at AUB — the Secular Club and the Red Oak Club. They held signs accusing Machnouk of having more than 40 civil marriage contracts awaiting approval. But Macknouk says he only has 13.

Protestors also allege that Machnouk has contradicted his opinion on the issue several times, citing a Twitter post where he appeared pro-civil marriage.

“Are you a hypocrite?” several protesters shouted.

Lebanese couples wishing to have a civil marriage can travel to places such as Turkey or Cyprus and the Lebanese state would fully recognize those marriages, according to Machnouk.

But activists say that’s not enough. They’re planning future protests in hopes to be heard by the Lebanese government.

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Lebanese-American named dean of Central Michigan University College of Medicine

(MT. PLEASANT, MI) — Prominent Lebanese-American doctor George Kikano was named the new dean of Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine on Feb. 24.

Kikano replaces Ernie Yoder, who announced his resignation in June. He comes from Cleveland, Ohio, where he previously served as the director of the Weatherhead Institute for Family Medicine and Community Health.

He was also the medical director for Home Care Services with University Hospitals in Cleveland and a professor of family medicine at Case Western Reserve University.

Kikano is recognized as one of Cleveland’s “Top Docs” who appears frequently on national television to discuss nationwide medical concerns. In 2013, Kikano made headlines when he told Fox News that Apple iOS 7 could make people have “headaches and nausea.”

Kikano earned his medical degree from the American University of Beirut in 1986. He started at Case Western Reserve University in 1987 as a research fellow and performed his family medicine residency with University Hospitals of Cleveland.

In 1992, he served as the associate residency director of the university, and  in a number of other roles before becoming chairman of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Case Western in 2001.

Kikano starts at CMU on April 1. He will be paid an annual salary of $500,000.

“You have something good going on here at CMU,” Kikano said in a statement. “The mission is a core value that should not be changed, should not be altered. Anything we do here, whether it is education, clinical research, basic science research, investing in facilities or investing in programs — that core mission will guide us.”

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Helen Shaker, the last surviving founder of St. Jude, dies at 90

(CHICAGO, IL) — Lebanese-American Helen Shaker, the last surviving founder of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, has died at the age of 90.

Shaker was among a group of five Chicago-area couples who worked with entertainer Danny Thomas in the 1950s to lay the groundwork for the Memphis, Tenn.-based pediatric hospital.

Shaker and her husband Joseph remained close friends with Thomas, who lived in Chicago for a short period before moving to Los Angeles.

Thomas was a struggling Detroit comedian who promised himself that if he were successful, he would build a shrine to St. Jude, who he once appealed to when debating whether he should pursue a career in show business.

When Thomas’ career took off and he approached Chicago’s archbishop Samuel Stritch about building the shrine, Stritch said there were too many and recommended a children’s hospital instead.

That’s when Thomas and a group of Lebanese-Americans in Chicago began meeting to launch the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC), the official fundraising arm of St. Jude, in 1957.

Richard Shadyac Jr., the CEO of ALSAC, said the Shaker family donated “significant sums” to the hospital.

“They were some of the most generous people in lending not only their resources but also their time and talent,” he said.

Shaker is survived by three sons, Joseph, Anthony and John; a daughter, Catherine Shaker Breit; 13 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

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Lebanon signs $6.4M loan to help youth fund tech startups

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanon’s Telecommunications Minister Boutros Harb recently signed a $6.4 million loan agreement with the World Bank to establish a new NGO that would help Lebanese youth launch tech startups.

“This is a 12.8 million dollars project where the MoT provides $6.4 million, and takes on 6.4 million from the World Bank,” said Walid Karam, a representative of the Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications. “The project will be executed over four years, and the ministry will start repaying the World Bank at the end of the four years with insignificant interest.”

Karam says the project is part of a mobile internet ecosystem fund, which was launched last year during Open Innovation Week in Beirut.

The NGO, which will be called MIHub, or Mobile Internet Hub, will provide a forum for Lebanese youth to increase open innovation and crowd-sourcing in Lebanon.

Officials say the program expects to launch over 60 startups and will accept 500 students over the next four years. Projects will include mobile app development, micro-enterprising projects, incubators, and the launching of angel investor groups.

“The importance of this project is that it opens up new areas of the Lebanese youth and enhance the national economy,” Harb said. “The cooperation between Lebanon and the World Bank is not new and will continue.”

Harb says Lebanese youth can help drive Lebanon into a new age of modern consumer technology. Karam agrees, and adds that Lebanese universities in particular, can play a major role in this project.

“Through partnerships with Lebanese universities, we will be organizing regular workshops on robotics, mobile apps development, web development, and other core tech industries,” Karam said.

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UN: Expats should be ‘tourism ambassadors’ for Lebanon

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon announced a new campaign on Friday, which aims to encourage Lebanese expatriates to visit their home country.

Pharaon signed a deal with the United Nations World Tourism Organization to add Lebanon to a program that would raise awareness on the importance of Lebanon’s tourism sector.

“Lebanon is now part of this organization that includes 62 other states around the world,” said Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifai.

Pharaon said the campaign was supported by Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri, following a meeting at the Grand Serail with the UN agency.

The group held talks on creating an initiative to attract Lebanese immigrants to visit Lebanon, including the launch of tourism packages for Phoenician trade routes and eco-tourism bundles.

Rifai says the 14 million Lebanese expats should be “tourism ambassadors” for the country.

The announcement comes just days after several Arab airlines called on Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport to increase the number of flights to Lebanon in response to increased passenger demand.

The Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority says this request for additional flights is a positive indicator for an active tourism season and added that the upcoming Easter holidays has already had more flight bookings than last year.

Pharaon said he expects more tourists this summer, adding that last summer’s statistics surpassed initial expectations.

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Charlie Haddad: The Lebanese Christian who joined ISIS

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Charlie Sleiman Haddad reportedly died in a suicide mission in Iraq after the 28-year-old joined the Islamic State to fight on the front lines. Now his family is reacting — and sources say they’re still shocked at their son’s decision.

Haddad was born in the Koura district of Lebanon to a modest Christian family of middle class workers. But his life seemed to change after his family moved to the Zahrieh area of Tripoli due to financial constraints.

Haddad’s brothers worked for the Lebanese Security Forces while he worked at Azmi Street’s clothing store in Tripoli. But things took a turn when Haddad suddenly stopped attending church to spend more time visiting Tripoli souks where he would meet Islamist youth.

Relatives, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Beirut-based newspaper The Daily Star that Haddad expressed negative stances toward church duties and rituals.

Months later, Haddad informed his family he was converting to Islam and joining ISIS. Just days before he moved to Turkey for military training, relatives say Haddad moved out of his family’s home.

This is when sources say he was recruited by ISIS to carry out terrorist attacks in Lebanon, but instead, ISIS sent him to Turkey for training.

Haddad visited the mayor of Zahrieh George Attieh in October 2014 where he was granted a passport to visit Turkey. Attieh says he had no idea Haddad was joining ISIS.

“The (Haddad) parents are very good people and this case is not worthy of them,” Attieh told the Daily Star.

The Haddad family is of Syrian origin and were nationalized in 1955 after a general decree was first instituted. But Haddad’s uncle Milad, a house painter, still holds Syrian citizenship, according to family members.

The Daily Star says that most of his family works in construction, including his father Sleiman who works in sewage systems.

Reports of Haddad’s death come just days after media reports alleged that George Nabih Dibeh, 23, joined ISIS in Iraq.

His family says that although Dibeh has converted to Islam, the media reports were false and that he had not joined ISIS.

Dibeh comes from a well-known Orthodox Christian family in Tripoli, where he was reportedly an active parishioner at a local church. He was pursuing higher education in France, when he suddenly came back to visit his family and announce he’s converting to Islam.

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Lebanese Collegiate Network to host convention in Michigan

(DETROIT, MI) — The Lebanese Collegiate Network will host more than 150 Lebanese students and working professionals during the eighth annual LCN convention at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor from April 10 to April 12.

The convention draws students and professionals from across the country for networking events and professional development workshops, according to the group’s press release.

“When we get all these people on one campus they find innovative ways to collaborate and make lasting friendships,” said Joe Sadek, president of the 501(c)(3) organization. “I’d say most of our members are self-starters, entrepreneurs, and generally thoughtful individuals.”

Sadek says the workshops have included business presentations, resume building seminars, and marketing classes, among others. They’ve also had major keynote speakers including Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Antoine Chedid.

“The convention provides a medium for students to connect and collaborate while having a ton of fun,” he said.

Sadek adds that most LCN members are students enrolled in 4-year academic programs.

“We began our alumni track in 2011 and we attract young professionals from across the country to attend,” he said. “I’d say the conference is 65-35, students to alumni.”

This is the second time LCN hosts their convention in Michigan. The group gathered at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. in 2011.

The cost to attend the two-day convention is $80 for LCN members, and $85 for non-members. For more information, visit mylcn.org.

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Gebran Bassil visits Lebanese community in Mexico

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil visited Mexico this week to meet with the Lebanese-Mexican community and call for closer economic ties between the two countries.

Bassil stressed the role of Lebanese expatriates in strengthening economic relations by investing in Lebanese exports.

The minister said Lebanon could “turn into Mexico’s (economic) gateway to the Arab world,” according to statements published by the National News Agency on Monday.

Bassil also met with the Maronite community, stressing that the Christian presence in Lebanon was critical for the region.

“We are entrusted with the mission of our lord Jesus Christ, and we have to maintain it in Lebanon by remaining rooted in our land,” Bassil said. “If (Maronites) ever leave Lebanon, I assure you that not a single Christian will remain in the country or in the whole Orient.”

Bassil’s added that Lebanon’s power sharing between Muslims and Christians was unique in the Arab world.

“Our Lebanese identity cannot be divided from our Christianity, it is not opposed to it and it does not undermine others sects, but it embodies Lebanon’s particularity, because it is the sole Christian-Muslim country in the Orient which is based on equality between these two religions,” he said.

Bassil began his visit to Latin American countries on Friday with a visit to Cuba, where he signed a diplomatic agreement with the country.

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Report: ISIS plans to capture Lebanese land, declare emirate

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Islamic State militants are planning to extend their command to Lebanon and declare an “Islamic emirate” there, according to Beirut-based newspaper The Daily Star.

“ISIS is preparing military plans to declare an Islamic emirate in Lebanon very soon to serve as a geographical extension of the so-called ‘Islamic State’ announced by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Iraq last year,” security sources told the newspaper.

“ISIS fighters have demanded support from the militant group in northern Syria to achieve this goal,” the sources said.

The report adds that jihadists are preparing to establish a military committee that will oversee “Lebanese affairs” while “considering Lebanon as part of its state.”

It also revealed plans to actively recruit suicide bombers to “target Shiite gatherings in Beirut and the southern suburbs, as well as French and Western interests.”

The Iranian embassy in Beirut, which was previously targeted in November 2013, is particularly vulnerable to a suicide attack, according to sources.

The news comes amid reports that ISIS has been adding fighters in Syria’s Qalamoun province, which is near the border of Lebanon.

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reportedly not yet interested in seeking a takeover in Lebanon, but instead was plotting to target a string border towns that support Hezbollah, which has fought ISIS in Lebanon and Syria.

Several countries have military pledged aid to the Lebanese Army, including the United States, which donated $25 million worth of military equipment on February 8.

In addition to the Lebanese Army, many Lebanese Christians near the border of Syria have been arming themselves to defend their land and families.

WATCH Russia Today’s report about newly-formed Christian militias:

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Lebanese-American marine sentenced to two years in prison

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — A Lebanese-American marine who vanished in Iraq in 2004 has been sentenced to two years in prison for fleeing his post and moving to Lebanon.

Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, 34, was found guilty of deserting with intent to avoid hazardous duty and desertion with intent to remain away permanently, according to Marine Capt. Stewart Coles, a spokesman at Camp Lejeune, N.C., where the trial took place.

Hassoun was also found guilty of losing government property — a 9mm M9 pistol that authorities said he had when he vanished.

Hassoun was sentenced to two years in prison, a reduction in rank to private, loss of all pay and allowances, and an dishonorable discharge, Coles added.

The case began when Hassoun vanished from a base in Fallujah, Iraq in June 2004. Days later, he appeared blindfolded and with a sword pointed at his head in a photo allegedly taken by an extremist group.

He later appeared unharmed at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, saying that he’d been kidnapped. But U.S. officials were suspicious and brought him back to Camp Lejeune where charges were considered.

After several months, Hassoun vanished again to “visit family in Lebanon”, according to his attorney, Haytham Faraj.

The Marine Corps charged Hassoun with desertion a second time and labeled him as a fugitive, prompting an arrest by Lebanese authorities, who later transferred him to American custody.

Hassoun, who was born in Lebanon, enlisted in the Marine Corps in January 2002 and served as an Arabic translator.

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