Iraq Law Proposes Lowering Legal Marriage Age for Girls to 9

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Above: Shiite women read the Koran and pray at the Imam Ali mosque at Najaf, one of the holiest sites for Shiite Muslims in the world, Southern Iraq. Image copyright: Lynsey Addario/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Iraq's lawyers, activists, and human rights groups have taken to the streets to protest the Iraqi Parliament's move to revise the country's Personal Status Law, which could legalize child marriage.

  • This comes after the Iraqi parliament this week completed the first reading of a bill proposing an amendment to the Personal Status Law passed in 1959, which sets the minimum age for marriage at 18.

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The Spin

Narrative A

This regressive law would not only limit women's constitutional rights in matters of inheritance, divorce, and child custody but also deepen societal divisions along religious and sectarian lines. It would also normalize child and misyar marriages and increase early pregnancies and a heightened risk of domestic violence. These degrading proposals must be reviewed to protect women and children.

Narrative B

The opponents of the draft law are following Western agendas and acting out of their own political interests. Besides seeking to standardize Islamic law and give citizens personal choices in marriage practices, the amendments — which would leave the 1959 Personal Status Law in effect — are still under discussion and open to revision to ensure the best outcome for everyone.

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