Rights group vows to fight racism in Lebanon resorts

The Anti-Racism Movement in Lebanon called on Friday for an end to discrimination at beach resorts which deny entry to foreign workers and domestic staff, according to Lebanon now blog.

It singled out 10 very well-known beach and pool resorts for their unabashedly racist policies.

Incidents of racism at Lebanon’s popular beach clubs have been reported before; some are known for their bias in entry policies despite tourism ministry’s effort to ban resorts from discriminating on the basis of race, nationality or disability.

According to a report in The Daily Star in May, the tourism ministry issued a circular letter to all owners of resorts in which they were warned against any form “of discrimination in terms of race, nationality or ... special needs” and how it would not be tolerated.

A ministry spokesperson told the newspaper that it will conduct spot checks of resorts, and those who fail to conform will be issued warnings and fines, or will be forced to close their establishment.

Resorts owners have informed the ARM that migrant domestic workers may be allowed to enter their establishments, but they may not be allowed to swim. However, the group plans to continue its activism until it “compiles a comprehensive list of violators”.

In 2010, the ARM had released a video that disclose a black woman being denied entry to Beirut’s Sporting Club.

Following this incident, the group posted a clip featuring a club’s public relations manager Walid Abu Nasser rejecting all accusations of racial discrimination, saying that the establishment is a private facility, which has the right to grant entrance.