Lebanon’s first sect-less baby born

A baby born in Lebanon has not been registered under a religious sect, in a first for the heavily sectarian country.

Kholoud Sukkariyeh and Nidal Darwish, the parents of baby Ghadi, in Lebanon, January 25, 2013.

The first baby to not be registered under a religious sect has been born in Lebanon.

The child of a Sunni Muslim mother and a Shi’ite father, baby Ghadi Sukkarieh is the first person to have the "sect of mother and father" section left blank on his birth certificate.

"The baby was born as a Lebanese citizen… he was not born a sectarian person," his mother Kholoud said.

This was not possible until two months ago, the result of a long fight against sectarianism waged by Ghadi’s parents.

They were the first couple to be civil married in Lebanon too, eschewing the idea of a religious ceremony. 

"It means a step forward for Lebanon," Kholoud said.

However, the couple's aims have not been without controversy.

They, along with baby Ghadi, have received threats for their desire to avoid sectarian commitment.

Watch the full report in the video player above.