Iraqi MPs to Debate Revised Bill Critics Fear Will Allow 9-Year-Old Girls to Marry
Iraq’s parliament postponed a vote on controversial legal amendments, including a reworked family law bill that had sparked civil outrage over fears of a resurgence in underage marriages, including allowing the marriage of girls as young as 9.
A session devoted to the legislation scheduled for Sunday, December 1, did not go ahead and will be held today, the parliament’s communications department said.
The proposed amendments would let people choose between religious or state regulations for family matters, such as marriage, inheritance, divorce, and child custody.
Critics fear the move could erode protections for Muslim women by lowering the legal age for marriage — currently set at 18, or 15 with the consent of legal guardians and a judge — and pave the way for the adoption of Islamic jurisprudence that could allow girls as young as 9 years old to marry.
A revised version of the bill sets the minimum age at 15 with court approval and retains “current conditions,” according to MP Raed al-Maliki, who backs the new proposals. Couples could opt for Shiite Muslim or Sunni Muslim rules under the amendment. (TOI / VFI News)
“God, we pray in Yeshua’s name that no Iraqi girl will be forced into child marriage. We pray for every woman in Iraq to be able to choose her husband freely if she wants to marry and to enjoy the same rights as her male counterparts. We pray that You instill Your fear into the Iraqi legislators and cause all the citizens to value their children and not force them into a life of suffering and continual sexual abuse.”