Inter-religion marriage ban scrapped

Tunisia has abolished a decades-old ban on Muslim women marrying non-Muslims. ‘Congratulations to the women of Tunisia for the enshrinement of the right to the freedom to choose one's spouse,’ said presidential spokesperson Saida Garrach. A report on the Middle East Online site notes that the announcement comes a month after President Beji Caid Essebsi called for the government to scrap the ban dating back to 1973. Until now, a non-Muslim man who wished to marry a Tunisian woman had to convert to Islam and submit a certificate of his conversion as proof.