The law drew strong criticism from international organizations such as UNICEF and Human Rights Watch.
On January 21, the Iraqi parliament passed a law effectively legalizing child marriage. The Guardian reported this.
Iraqi law sets 18 years of age as the minimum age for marriage in most cases. However, the changes will allow clerics to make decisions about marriages “according to their own interpretation of Islamic law.”
In some cases, this may lead to marriage being allowed for girls in their very early youth, even as young as 9 years old, according to the Jaafari school, teachings followed by a large part of the authorities of the Shiite religion in Iraq.
Activists say the changes undermine Iraq’s 1959 Personal Status Law, which unifies family law and establishes protections for women.
At the same time, the supporters of the amendments, including the majority of conservative Shiite lawmakers, consider the innovation as “combining the letter of the law with the principles of Islam.” In their opinion, this will also “reduce Western influence on Iraqi culture.”
The law drew strong criticism from international organizations such as UNICEF and Human Rights Watch, which condemned the initiative as a gross violation of children’s rights.
We remind you that last year a girl who was kidnapped at the age of 11 in Iraq 10 years ago was released in Gaza.
As of December 2024, the Council of Theologians of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia allowed Russian Muslims to enter into up to four “religious marriages.”
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.