Iraq legalises marriage so that 9 year olds can marry

The changes passed on Tuesday would let clerics rule according to their interpretation of Islamic law, which some interpret to allow marriage of girls in their early teens – or as young as nine under the Jaafari school of Islamic law followed by many Shia religious authorities in Iraq.

The above is taken from yesterday’s Guardian.

Very concerning.

Afghanistan also allows girls to be married at 9yrs old.

I think it’s abhorrent, as do my Muslim friends.

Absolutely awful

Those poor girls. This is one of those occasions when I honestly don't have the words to express adequately enough how I feel.

Agreed! Don,t they realise that 9 years old is a CHILD!!

It’s unbelievable, except apparently it’s true!
Totally abhorrent.

Under the new law, which was agreed yesterday, religious authorities have been given the power to decide on family affairs, including marriage, divorce and the care of children. It abolishes a previous ban on the marriage of children under the age of 18

It is an terrible by-product of the changes they made.

The OP makes it sound like this is the reason they made the law - to allow 9 year olds to marry.

There is more to this law than child marriage. Here's what the Guardian said:

Activists argue that this undermines Iraq’s 1959 Personal Status Law, which unified family law and established safeguards for women.

Iraqi law currently sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage in most cases. The changes passed on Tuesday would let clerics rule according to their interpretation of Islamic law, which some interpret to allow marriage of girls in their early teens – or as young as nine under the Jaafari school of Islamic law followed by many Shia religious authorities in Iraq.

Proponents of the changes, which were advocated by primarily conservative Shia lawmakers, defend them as a means to align the law with Islamic principles and reduce western influence on Iraqi culture.

The parliament also passed a general amnesty law seen as benefiting Sunni detainees and that is also seen as giving a pass to people involved in corruption and embezzlement. The chamber also passed a land restitution law aimed at addressing Kurdish territorial claims.

Intisar al-Mayali, a human rights activist and a member of the Iraqi Women’s League, said passage of the civil status law amendments “will leave disastrous effects on the rights of women and girls, through the marriage of girls at an early age, which violates their right to life as children, and will disrupt the protection mechanisms for divorce, custody and inheritance for women”.

The session ended in chaos and accusations of procedural violations.

“Half of the lawmakers present in the session did not vote, which broke the legal quorum,” a parliamentary official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly. He said that some members protested loudly and others climbed on to the parliamentary podium.

All is not lost yet.
It may prove to be "unlawful"

It's pretty grim though for girls and women.

Terrible as a nursery teacher my heart goes out to them.

Pretty grim indeed. How lucky we are to live here, but will young girls be sent from the UK to Iraq for such an arranged marriage?

Its legalising paedophilia. Disgusting and disgraceful.

I think it's believable and timeless, the way men can use and rule over children and women, and force them to obey.
Did you not read about the women in Afghanistan who had to sell their little girls to old men because their families were hungry?
Did you read about the great Chinese famine when the same happened?
There are always men about who are willing to take their children "off their hands", and always laws that permit it.
This is us - the human race .
Some of us women are more fortunate than others because of the country we just happened to be born in, and its laws.
I think we should always try to fight against these abusers , even though I feel the battle may never be won.
I am so grateful to have been born in the UK in this day and age.

Heathans and philistines, that’s what they are 😡

Very, very grim.

Thank you for the detail, Not Spaghetti - it sounds like internal rifts in a political situation that I don't understand and hope won't come to be.

Just checked - there are Iraqi refugees in the UK and I would presume they are trying to escape such traditions,

but I have just checked re migrants and the UK has recently, in accordance with deporting migrants, agreed for the return because it was regarded as a safe country. I dont know what could happen now.

They are just sick!

I have no words. Evil beyond expression.

There is a very poor record of women's rights in many countries across the ME, in parts of Africa, and India, to name but a few. But as with Iran there are brave groups of women fighting to improve this in all these parts of the world, risking their freedom and their lives, and I imagine women's groups in Iraq will fight this.
This is not about religion is about patriarchal cultures using religion to control and abuse girls/women. The best way anyone can help these girls and women would be to donate to Amnesty International or other human rights organisations trying to fight against this and release women imprisoned for challenging such laws.

Well religion frequently is .
patriarchal so I do think it is partly about religion. It would be useful to talk about that. There are all sorts of dynamics of powers within religion which lead to horrendous safeguarding risks.

Vile but these old men have always liked child brides. Nothing new really.

Galaxy

Well religion frequently is .
patriarchal so I do think it is partly about religion. It would be useful to talk about that. There are all sorts of dynamics of powers within religion which lead to horrendous safeguarding risks.

Religions are usually dictated by patriarchal cultures in the beginning, in essence they are patriarchal constructs rather than anything to do with a God. Indeed if there is a God, and the jury is out in my own personal case, I doubt that he/she would ever support the way most major religions have colonised parts of the world and manipulated/cowed the masses, in particular women.

I have no belief in God so I really wasnt worrying he was involved! There is something about organised religion and power, and who is attracted to that power which causes me concern.

It is beyond belief in 2025. What on earth can be done to help these children?

Medieval practices. Shocking.
In families there, little girls (similar age to our L’il Miss here) are not valued. They are just another mouth to feed.
So pass them on, to another family, for breeding.

My heart bleeds for these poor terrified children.

Sons however are valued. The name …. (Common, but it escapes me at present) means ‘Prince’. Says it all.

What concerns me is the calibre of the men!

Where is their humanity?

In families there

All families?