BEIRUT — Opponents of sectarianism in Lebanon are celebrating what they are calling the first child born without a religious sect. Nidal Darwish and Kholoud Sukkarieh announced Saturday, Oct. 26, that their one-month-old son Ghadi had been registered without a religious affiliation. In January, the couple celebrated the first civil marriage recorded in Lebanon.

Ghadi’s birth was celebrated by supporters of civil marriage, which was only recently made legal in Lebanon. The country’s political system is distributed according to religious sect, with many social and economic implications for Lebanese citizens. 

Both parents also celebrated  on Twitter. Sukkarieh tweeted this photo of Ghadi’s registration, with the ‘sect’ field left blank.  

Lebanese President Michel Sleiman wrote to the couple, “Congratulations to Nidal and Kholoud and to all Lebanese on the birth of Ghadi, first newborn registered without a sect.”