Iraq Moves To Lower Legal Marriage Age To 9 Years Old
Iraq's Parliament has initiated a proposal to reduce the legal age of marriage for girls from 15 to 9 years old. This proposal, rooted in Sharia law, represents a stark regression in human rights, especially for women and female children. The disheartening move has sparked a global outcry from human rights organizations and activists.
Under Iraq's current legal framework, the age of marriage is set at 18, with exceptions allowing girls as young as 15 to marry under judicial approval. The new draft law, however, proposes that religious courts should have the authority to permit marriages for girls as young as 9, based on certain interpretations of Islamic jurisprudence, specifically the Jaafari school of thought.
Outrage from Activists and International Bodies
This proposed law is nothing short of state-sanctioned child rape and abuse. The Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) has been at the forefront of condemning this move, with its president, Yanar Mohammed, criticizing the law as a means to "terrorize Iraqi women and civil society" by imposing archaic Sharia law.
The United Nations has also voiced significant concerns. UN Special Representative Jan Kubis has called on the Iraqi government to reconsider and ensure that women's and girls' rights are fully protected. Such a law would clearly violate international conventions, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Iraq is a signatory.
Health and Social Implications
Forcing girls as young as 9 to marry is a gross violation of human rights and would have devastating implications. These young girls would be deprived of their childhood and education and be exposed to severe health risks from early pregnancies.
Such a law would entrench gender inequality and roll back decades of progress for women's rights in Iraq. UNICEF estimates that one in five girls in Iraq is already subjected to child marriage, which has significant health and socio-economic consequences.
Sharia Law and Global Concerns
Sharia law, derived from the Quran and Hadith, governs various aspects of life in many Islamic countries. Under Sharia, marriage is permitted at the onset of puberty, which can be as young as 9 years old. This is particularly prevalent in the Sunni and Shia sects, with child marriage practiced in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, and Northern Nigeria.
Globally, there are approximately 1.8 billion Muslims, with varying degrees of adherence to Sharia law, with many communities promoting and enforcing strict interpretations of Sharia, which violate fundamental human rights.
This alarming development in Iraq raises significant concerns for the Western world. As migration from predominantly Muslim countries increases, there is a growing push in some Western communities to recognize Sharia-based family laws, like in the UK. This is a dangerous trend that threatens to undermine our established human rights norms and gender equality standards.
Closing Thoughts
Women's rights groups and activists are rallying to prevent this atrocious law from passing. They are organizing protests and calling for international support to maintain the current legal protections.
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