Iraq's parliament has ignited widespread condemnation by approving amendments to the personal status law that critics say will legalize child marriage. The controversial changes grant religious clerics greater authority over family matters, potentially allowing marriages of girls as young as nine based on certain interpretations of Islamic law.
Iraq 's parliament has passed a set of controversial amendments to the country's personal status law that critics say will effectively legalize child marriage. The changes, which were primarily advocated by conservative Shia lawmakers, grant increased authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce, and inheritance to religious clerics.
These clerics would be allowed to rule according to their interpretation of Islamic law, which some interpretations permit marriage of girls as young as nine under the Jaafari school of Islamic law followed by many Shia religious authorities. \Opponents of the amendments, including human rights activists and women's rights groups, argue that this undermines Iraq's 1959 Personal Status Law, which unified family law and established safeguards for women. They point out that the current law sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage in most cases. Activists warn that the new amendments will have disastrous consequences for the rights of women and girls, leading to early marriages that violate their right to life as children and disrupt protection mechanisms for divorce, custody, and inheritance. \The parliament also passed a general amnesty law seen as benefiting Sunni detainees and potentially giving a pass to individuals involved in corruption and embezzlement. Additionally, a land restitution law was passed aimed at addressing Kurdish territorial claims. \The passage of these laws was met with strong protests and controversy. A parliamentary official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that a significant number of lawmakers, representing half of those present, did not vote, breaking the legal quorum. He further stated that there were heated protests during the session, with some members climbing onto the parliamentary podium. After the session, several legislators voiced concerns about the voting process, arguing that all three controversial laws, each supported by different blocs, were voted on together. This, they fear, could lead to legal challenges at the federal court.
IRAQ CHILD MARRIAGE ISLAMIC LAW PARLIAMENT WOMEN's RIGHTS
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