Translated, the name means private liberties, and that's precisely what Hurriyat Khassa is all about: the pursuit and guarantee of private liberties for all. What started as a collective of individual efforts a couple of years ago has slowly developed into a formal group, and which was recently registered as a nonprofit association with the government. "When we got together, we realized that what was lacking in Lebanon was a formal association founded on the basis of private liberties," explained Nizar Saghieh, a lawyer and vice-president of the association, referring to himself and the other founding members who now form Hurriyat Khassa. "We saw ourselves working at the intersection of the public and private spheres." And that junction has the association involved in lobbying for a number of basic rights for everybody: private liberties, the freedom of creed and the right to civil statutes, decriminalization of homosexuality, democracy (equality) inside the family, and the banishment of slavery (maids, prostitutes).
| It's that "freedom of creed" that's going to get them in trouble, though their primary focus seems to be on rights for homosexuals. But Islam is predicated on the lack of freedom of religion — with religious freedom, there's a chance that Muslims will turn into Christians or Buddhists or agnostics. With Islam firmly in charge you can just cut their heads off and not worry about losing contributing members, except for the deaders. The homosexuals are, of course, toast, but only if they bugger the wrong boy or get behind (so to speak) in their zakat payments; otherwise the turbans pretend they're not there and the money keeps rolling in. |
"When there is a restriction of private liberties, it extends to a restriction of participation in the public sphere," said Saghieh, emphasizing that for Hurriyat Khassa the contrary holds true. "We want to further the right of everyone to participate in the public sphere by ensuring his or her private liberties."
| He's talking about the concept of individual liberty, of course, apparently inventing the concept of libertarianism. I'd say send 'em a few dozen copies of Hayek to help them along... |
In mid-2002, shortly after the group of individuals came together with common objectives, there was an amendment to the penal code that further restricted civil liberties. "It went against both what was happening internationally, and the reality of what was taking place on the ground in Lebanon," explained Saghieh. The amendment was seen as an urgent matter that needed addressing immediately. So, the collaborative efforts of a number of groups and individuals resulted in a May 2003 conference entitled "Human Dignity: The Penal Code," which addressed a number of private concerns, including the need to decriminalize homosexuality, the severity of marital rape and the issue of foreign workers, as well as the more public issues of freedom of association and freedom of expression. "It was the first time the public and private spheres were dealt with at the same conference," said Saghieh, adding that it was seen as a huge success. |