Luguber artwork Beirut forms silent protest

beirut - Hikers must look strange at the somewhat lugubere scene on Beirut's seafront promenade. In the wind, 31 bridal gowns blow on straps that form a silent protest against Lebanese law that release rapists when they marry their victims.

The artwork called 'Undress 552' is an initiative of Lebanese artist Mireille Honein who worked with an organization that promotes gender equality. The 31 wedding dresses symbolize the number of days in the month that a woman is at risk of being raped and subsequently forced to marry her rapist.

The law is very critical. On May 15, the Lebanese parliament debates the law, according to the Minister of Women's Affairs, dating from the Stone Age. 'Earlier, Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch called on the Lebanese parliament to revise the law.