Soon after Lebanese women were allowed to open bank accounts for their sons without their father’s permission, our favorite Minister, Ziyad Baroud, has fired off a letter to the General Security:

Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud asked the General Security office on Wednesday to facilitate the transactions of children and husbands of Lebanese women married to foreigners….
[Baroud’s letter] requested that certain measures be taken such as giving the foreign husbands of Lebanese women a free residency valid for up to five years. The husband however should fulfill certain conditions to obtain this residency, including being employed, possessing any other identification documents and being married for a certain duration. The letter added that the children of a Lebanese woman married to a foreign husband are also to be given a free residency valid for a limit of five years. This residency would be given without any conditions to children under the age of 18 but would be subject to the above mentioned requirements if the children are adults.

I understand that this is a quick fix until the elusive nationality law is amended but these measures don’t nearly go far enough. Much more needs to be done – though I appreciate the effort – the Lebanese constitution is quite clear when it comes to equality, all we need now is for someone to uphold it.