Iraq will introduce a bill that could see the age of marriage for girls be cut down to nine.
The bill would roll back women’s rights in what advocates say is an already oppressive society by increasing the prevalence of underage marriages.
“Would politicians let their nine-year-old daughter get married? I’m sure not but they would allow the oppressed Iraqi population to do so,” Suhalia Al Assam, a women’s rights activist, told The National in an interview.
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The Iraqi parliament held its first reading of the bill on Sunday, sparking criticism. The bill must have three readings to become binding, along with a vote.
“The Iraqi community categorically rejects these proposals, it is a degrading step for both Iraqi men and women alike. This is what we have been fighting against for years,” Al Assam told the outlet.
The bill has been pushed by the Co-ordination Framework, a coalition of Islamist Shiite parties which form the Iraqi parliament’s largest bloc, reports France24.
Iraq’s current law, passed in 1959, is considered to be among the most protective of women’s rights in the Middle East. The law, passed in 1959, stipulates the age of marriage for both men and women to be set at 18, with taking a second wife to be extremely restricted.
Muslim men, under the law, are allowed to marry non-Muslim women without conditions or restrictions, and women are permitted to disobey their husband if he harms her, fails to provide adequate housing, or care if she should fall ill.
“Many politicians have attempted to do this in the past, but failed. This is a civil law that includes all aspects of Iraq’s society regardless of religious background,” Al Assam explained.
Some argue that historically, Islam has permitted the marriage of girls as young as nine, citing the example of the Prophet Mohammed, who is believed to have married his wife Aisha at that age.
The bill would also amend an amnesty law allowing for the release of several prisoners. Sunni politicians argue that thousands from their sect have been unjustly imprisoned in Shiite-dominated Iraq since 2003.
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“It's a 'you scratch my back while I scratch yours' situation with the understanding that Sunnis would vote for the Amnesty Bill and that Shia MPs would vote for the Personal Status bill,” Al Hassani told The National.
“By doing so, there's an attempt to further sectarianise society at a time when Iraqis are tired of years of sectarianism,” she said.
