Report: Suleiman Hails Hariri's 'Brave' Stance on Civil Marriage

President Michel Suleiman hailed the “reasonable and logical” stance of former PM Saad Hariri backing the controversial issue of legalizing civil marriage, the al-Joumhouria daily said Saturday.

In a lengthy phone call with Hariri, Suleiman lauded the former prime minister's brave stance supporting civil marriage, the daily added.

Suleiman alluded Hariri's candor in addressing matters reasonably in light of a tensed Arab and Muslim world tilting more and more towards extremism, and has thus become incapable of absorbing such advanced stances, it added.

In a televised interview on LBCI Thursday, Hariri denounced the uptight stances of the Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani regarding civil marriage, saying: “Labeling people as apostates is not acceptable and addressing civil marriage in the approach Qabbani took is also rejected.”

“Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey are all Islamic countries that adopt civil marriage. Will Qabbani consider their people apostates?” Hariri asked rhetorically.

“The mufti's remarks are unacceptable and I would say the same thing if he was in our political camp,” he added.

“There is a dispute over civil marriage in Lebanon, but there are young men and women who want to wed in a civil marriage. My personal stance is that there must be civil marriage in Lebanon, but we must first reach an agreement,” said Hariri.

"Personally I do not accept that my children marry in a civil union, but a deputy is a representative of the entire nation and of all people," he stressed.

Qabbani had issued a fatwa on Monday against moves to legalize civil marriages inside the country.

The fatwa branded as an apostate any Muslim politician who approves civil marriage legislation.