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.
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