The Iraqi parliament passed three controversial laws on Tuesday, foreign media reported. The new laws, including amendments to the country’s privacy law, were passed, according to reports. However, opponents have strongly opposed this, saying that the new law legalizes child marriage.
The amendments give Islamic courts greater authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce and inheritance.
Accordingly, human rights activists argue that this is a violation of Iraq’s 1959 Privacy Law, which consolidated family law and established protections for women.
According to foreign media, these amendments were proposed primarily by conservative Shiite lawmakers. They say the new law is a means of aligning with Islamic principles and protecting them from Western influence on Iraqi culture. Under Iraq’s current legal framework, the minimum age for marriage in most cases is 18.
The amendments passed on Tuesday allow clerics to govern marriage laws according to their interpretation of Islamic law.
International commentators have said the new amendments would allow girls as young as 9 to marry under the Jaafari school of Islamic law, which is followed by most Shiite religious authorities in Iraq.