A/HRC/31/18/Add.1 Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on his mission to Lebanon Contents Page I. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 4 II. Overview of relevant legal framework and structures ..................................................................... 5 A. Historic development of the Constitution of Lebanon ............................................................. 5 B. Constitutional rights................................................................................................................. 5 C. Legal provisions against religious extremism and sedition ..................................................... 6 D. Judiciary .................................................................................................................................. 6 E. Incorporation and status of international law in domestic law ................................................. 6 Legacy of religious diversity ............................................................................................................ 7 A. Overview of the religious landscape ........................................................................................ 7 B. Appreciation for diversity ........................................................................................................ 8 Living together in a religiously diverse society................................................................................ 8 A. Interreligious communication and cooperation........................................................................ 9 B. Resilience in the face of extremism in everyday life ............................................................... 10 C. Common Lebanese citizenship ................................................................................................ 10 D. Power-sharing and “balancing” ............................................................................................... 11 Challenges to the development of interreligious coexistence ........................................................... 12 A. Registration of religions........................................................................................................... 12 B. Ambiguous aspects of religious pluralism ............................................................................... 12 C. Sensitive historical issues and their impact on religious communities .................................... 13 D. Societal factors of separation ................................................................................................... 14 E. Gender-related issues ............................................................................................................... 15 F. Ambiguities of political confessionalism ................................................................................. 16 Debate around civil marriages .......................................................................................................... 17 A. Role of religious laws and courts ............................................................................................. 17 B. Discontinuation of civil marriage registrations ........................................................................ 17 C. Calls for legal reforms ............................................................................................................. 18 Regional dynamics .......................................................................................................................... 18 A. 18 III. IV. V. VI. VII.  2 Violence committed in the name of religion ........................................................................... Circulated in the language of submission and Arabic only.