In Society

Equality of Woman with Man in Inheritance

The Executive Committee for the Equality of Woman with Man in Inheritance is still hard at work pursuing its cause before the competent departments in order to reach its final goal. It recently appeared before His Excellency the Prime Minister and submitted to him the following petition, which we hope will find an attentive ear from His Excellency:

To the respected His Excellency the Prime Minister,

The "Executive Committee for the Equality of Woman with Man in Inheritance" has the honor of laying before Your Excellency the following:

On the seventh of September 1949, and by virtue of decree number 16198, the Lebanese government — then headed by the late Riad al-Solh — referred to the Chamber of Deputies a draft inheritance law.

This draft comprises the provisions for the passing of a deceased person's property and rights to his heirs as designated in the law or in the will — for non-Mohammedan Lebanese on the one hand, laying down new special provisions for them, and for Mohammedan Lebanese on the other, adopting the provisions of the religious law now in force. The Chamber of Deputies was not able at that time to examine this draft.

And whereas this draft accords with the principle of equality which the authorities affirmed when they recognized the Lebanese woman's political rights, and is but a complementary step toward the realization of the said principle;

And whereas the Directorate of Justice has completed the study of this draft after sounding the opinions of all the parties concerned, including the religious and civil bodies;

Therefore,

The "Executive Committee for the Equality of Woman with Man in Inheritance" requests of Your Excellency that the Council of Ministers adopt this draft and refer it to the Chamber of Deputies for study and enactment.

And please accept our highest respect.

The Young Women's Christian Association has returned to its organized activity and has distributed bulletins showing its programs of work for each month.

It has delegated Miss Chris Azrak, president of the groups of women employees and professional women, to represent it at the training conference of the World Council, held in India from November 12 to 28 last.

Miss Azrak is a professor of social sciences at the American University of Beirut, and her travel expenses were set aside from the proceeds of the charity bazaar which the group of women employees and professional women holds every year...

Among the activities of the Young Women's Christian Association is the opening of classes for maids and women domestic workers, begun on November 7 last at the Evangelical School in Ras Beirut.

On Friday evening, December 21, the Autumn Exhibition of painting and sculpture was opened at the UNESCO Palace, under the patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic, attended by high official and civil personalities and a crowd of the public.

His Excellency President Chamoun distributed decorations to the great artists and to the distinguished among the rising generation.

It is worth mentioning that the number of those taking part in the show is sixty artists, women and men, and the number of paintings and statues on display is 300.

The profound guiding address with which His Excellency the Minister of National Education and Fine Arts, Dr. Charles Malik, opened the exhibition made an excellent impression in artistic and intellectual circles alike...

Thanks were expressed for the efforts exerted by the Ministry in holding these exhibitions, which stimulate the artists and encourage them to create and to produce their best.

The Ministry of Education and Fine Arts has chosen a committee of art critics, among them a great art critic whom the Ministry summoned from Europe to judge the value of the works exhibited and to distribute the prizes with justice...

In the exhibition, classical and modern paintings and statues contend side by side.

...In the coming issue, our detailed report on the Autumn Exhibition... Until we meet again.

Celebrating Tree Day

On the occasion of Tree Week, the boy and girl pupils of the Model Elementary School celebrated, as usual, by planting their trees: each class planted a tree and gave it a beloved name. And although the rain poured down on them during the planting, their joy was great at adorning their school — and thereby their country — with trees. Then they sang the tree anthem, and some of the pupils spoke of love for the tree and of caring for it.

Also Rejoicing in the Old Man of the Feast

How great was the little ones' joy when they saw the old man of the feast, "Santa Claus," coming, ringing his bells, carrying on his back a great basket full of gifts and sweets. The face of each one of them, as he came forward to receive his gift and kiss Santa Claus, overflowed with joy and delight. And when the old man told them about the poor and unfortunate children at this feast, the pupils resolved to give up buying little sweets for two days and to gather this money, so that they in their turn might be the old man of the feast for the needy.

Mrs. Victoria Jureidini Majdalani, a venerable womanly figure, was taken from us at the beginning of December... The news of her death came from Manchester, in England, where she had settled for nearly half a century with her husband, the distinguished merchant, the late Wakim Majdalani. They left behind descendants who lift Lebanon's brow high in the land of civilization — four sons and three daughters, of whom the only one left to us here is Mrs. Elie, wife of Mr. Fuad Sarruf, vice-president of the American University of Beirut.

It was as though an inner voice had whispered to the departed that her life was on the wane: she was visiting her daughter, Mrs. Sarruf, in Beirut until November 24, and she passed months in the hills of Lebanon, which she loved so dearly, among hundreds of kinsfolk and friends, before returning to her second homeland to close her radiant eyes forever, amid the tender grief of her many children and grandchildren.

May God have mercy on our departed one, the righteous striver; she fulfilled her mission on this transient earth in the fullest manner, and her soul has earned peace and mercy in everlasting bliss...