Iraq's parliament postponed a session scheduled for Tuesday to push ahead with controversial amendments to the nation’s Personal Status Law that, if passed, would allow for girls as young as nine to be married.
The proposed amendments, supported by Islamist parties in parliament, would give religious authorities a say in governing marriage and inheritance matters. They would also strip Iraqi women of many of their divorce and inheritance rights.
“We will not be part of a parliament session in which a law that legalises minors' marriage, strips the rights of the mothers and increases the sectarian divisions in the society to be passed,” legislator Noor Nafea Al Jilaihawi wrote on X.
She called on MPs “who believe in the importance of family and the necessity of preserving it not to attend the session in order not to pass the second reading”.
On August 4, the parliament completed the first reading of the bill, considered the initial step to accepting draft laws and starting the process. The second reading, which was scheduled for Tuesday, was meant to begin the debate on suggested bills and amendments. If the second reading is approved, the bill would then be eligible to be put to a vote in the third reading.
The session was supposed to start at 1pm, but later that afternoon Parliament announced a postponement until further notice amid calls to boycott the session by many parties.
Kurdish lawmaker Ala Talabani said the Parliament's "insistence on passing an amendment and not listening to opposition popular opinions, and not agreeing to hold any workshop or hearing within Parliament, to discuss the law, is clear evidence of the intentions of some parties in power to pass their partisan agendas and break the will of others".
"We reiterate once again another concern which is the disintegration of society and its sectarian division, and the violation of the provisions of the Constitution and Iraq’s international obligations regarding the rights of children and women," Mrs Talabani said in a statement.
Critics said the amendments would further cement sectarianism in Iraq as they allow couples to choose between the provisions of the Personal Status Law or the provisions of specific Islamic schools of jurisprudence. If a couple are from two different sects, the school followed by the husband’s sect would apply.
The proposed amendments have led to widespread demonstrations and debate between Iraqis who are pro-civil rights and religious institutions, which have gained more power over the past two decades.
In an opinion poll conducted by the Iraq Polling Team NGO this month, more than 73 per cent expressed “strong opposition” to the amendments to the current Personal Status Law that has been in place since 1959.
In contrast, only about 24 per cent of those surveyed expressed strong support for the changes while about 3 per cent remained indifferent.
On Monday, the EU mission in Iraq voiced concern over the proposed amendments to the law. In a statement on X, the mission said it was examining these and “reaching out to Iraqi interlocutors seeking their views”.
“We hope that the legislators will ensure the compatibility between the revised text and Iraq’s legal framework and international law obligations, including when it comes to ratified international conventions,” it said.
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESupy%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDani%20El-Zein%2C%20Yazeed%20bin%20Busayyis%2C%20Ibrahim%20Bou%20Ncoula%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFood%20and%20beverage%2C%20tech%2C%20hospitality%20software%2C%20Saas%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%20for%20six%20months%3B%20pre-seed%20round%20of%20%241.5%20million%3B%20seed%20round%20of%20%248%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBeco%20Capital%2C%20Cotu%20Ventures%2C%20Valia%20Ventures%20and%20Global%20Ventures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
