Another tragedy proves the injustice of religious courts in Lebanon, exposing their extent of prejudice against women, Al Akhbar reported today. It recalled, that on 11/1/2012, the Sharia Judge in the Sunni Court of Beirut, Mohamad Naqri, issued a verdict withdrawing the custody of two children from their mother, Mona Abdel Wahab. The decision was based on a medical report filed by the father, Mohamad Ali Abu Kar, diagnosing her with schizophrenia. One month later, on 11/2/2012, Abdel Wahab appealed submitting two medical reports by sworn physicians stating she is mentally sound, Al Akhbar wrote. However, the appeal court then headed by current Mufti, Sheikh Abdellatif Deryan, rejected Abdel Wahab’s request. Noting, that her husband has manipulated the decision of the court of appeal to annex a verdict issued by the Sunni Sharia Court in Saida preventing the mother from seeing her children as she allegedly was a threat to their life. Each time she resorted to the judiciary to reclaim her right to custody, Abdel Wahab was faced with repulsion on part of the judges who refused to what some of them termed ‘break the appeal decision’. More on the subject on the following link: (https://bit.ly/2mritdO). Meanwhile, the director of the Center of Lebanese Studies at LAU, Maha Shoaib, wrote in an article published by Al Akhbar explaining that equality in sharing responsibility of children and the household remains a secondary issue. She is advised to think big and be less demanding, otherwise, she is bringing it upon herself to relinquish her motherhood and give up her children. (Al Akhbar, September 20, 2019)
