A proposed bill in Iraq has ignited widespread concern and panic among citizens, particularly among activists and women's rights advocates. The bill, put forward by Iraq's justice ministry, seeks to revise the nation's Personal Status Law and potentially lower the legal marriage age for girls to as young as nine years old, as reported by news agency AFP.
Currently, the legal age for marriage in Iraq is 18, but this proposed change has alarmed many who fear it will lead to an increase in child marriages and further undermine women's rights in the country?s deeply patriarchal society. The proposed legislation has sparked outrage, with activists organizing protests and planning further demonstrations in Baghdad to voice their opposition.
?Passing this law would show a country moving backwards, not forwards,? said Sarah Sanbar, a researcher with Human Rights Watch (HRW), expressing the concerns of many rights advocates. Amal Kabashi, a member of the Iraq Women's Network, echoed these sentiments, stating that the amendment ?provides huge leeway for male dominance over family issues? in a society that is already deeply conservative.
Also Read: Powerful 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Japan?s Southern Coast, Tsunami Advisory Issued
The bill, which has been backed by conservative Shiite Muslim lawmakers, aims to allow citizens to choose whether family matters should be governed by the 1959 Personal Status Law or by Sharia Islamic rules. Critics argue that this could lead to significant erosion of rights in areas such as inheritance, divorce, and child custody, particularly for women and children.
Raed al-Maliki, the lawmaker who introduced the amendment, has defended the bill, refuting claims that it would permit the marriage of minors. However, the language of the bill suggests that "Muslims of age" would need to decide whether to have their family issues handled by religious authorities or the civil judiciary. This choice between religious and civil courts has sparked concerns about the potential weakening of the 1959 law, which was seen as a progressive legal framework at the time of its inception.
The proposal does not address the concerns of Iraq's diverse population, particularly other religious and sectarian groups who may be adversely affected by the amendments. Under the new bill, Shiite and Sunni institutions are given six months to submit a set of rules for each sect to parliament for approval.
