We're joined by Marie-Joe Abi Nassif for Episode 20 of The Beirut Banyan. Our conversation was previously recorded about the debate surrounding civil marriage in Lebanon, and meant to follow Episode 14 with Roderick Sursock (and as a companion to Episode 6 with Marie-Joe's husband, Abdallah Salam).

Due to the uprising underway (and the shift in focus to demands for political change), we decided to include a portion of the conversation that focuses on the broader debate between secularism and sectarian rule, and Marie-Joe's belief in the Lebanese army's unifying abilities. Marie-Joe shares her father's commitment to the army as a former general and his running of the Ministry of Economy during military rule in the late 1980s, and her firm belief in the state's responsibilities towards its citizens.

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Music by Marc Codsi. Graphics by Sara Tarhini.