Iraq to lower the ‘age of consent’ for girls to nine

What's your point exactly?

I write from a European perspective, which is generally pragmatic rather than ideological - we don't care how democratic places we trade are and are generally happy with whatever colour government is in power. Saddam Hussein was secular in the sense that though outwardly religious he was not an Islamist (and of course an opportunist) but he also protected the Christian and Jewish minorities in Iraq (the people of the Book) - most of whom have now fled the country they had inhabited for hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of years. The US wanted Hussein out and to get its hands on Iraqui oil. Doubtless worthy reasons, but the removal of Hussein has done ordinary Iraquis little good.
NB I don't blame the West for everything. On the contrary, it seems to me that the West - due to the Enlightenment but also to the prevalence of Christianity - has been the driving force for reform and human rights across the world.
Thanks for link, interesting.

There’s still a really long way to go - politically as other posters have noted, Iran holds a lot of power and provides support for some of the biggest militia, which still de facto “control” some places.

Your family / community and tribal affiliations will hold more power over what you can do than what’s in the law.

For example, legally women work, travel, access education - however if you happen to be from a family that don’t want you to work, travel or access education they hold a lot more power over you than the law.

I have female friends who do “whatever they want” I.e work, socialise, live alone, aren’t fearful of their day to day safety, dress how they like etc however I also have friends whose family enforce more rigid gender stereotypes, which always end up as controlling for women.

Exactly - you were talking a load of rubbish.

Who on earth told you that? The age of consent in Germany is 14, but even then, not under all circumstances.

No of course, It’s more just a point of fact - as so many posters seem rightly angry, to just highlight that the original article is misleading in terms of the timing, not other content as Iran heavily influences politics in Iraq.

I remember when it was announced here at the time I was thinking “Where is the international outcry!”

It didn’t. I live in Iraq. There were large protests and public backlash

^

Can you tell us more, especially how you feel in regards to women's rights??

An example of this is that nobody as yet has managed to show me the place in the Bible that says women can never be priests, yet many Christian sects still ban women from this.

^

Not comparable with allowing nine year olds to marry.

For example, hospitals can refuse women admitted for childbirth without a marriage certificate.

^

What a way to lead a society.

Absolutely despicable.

We really are going backwards as a humanity.

Apologies then! Yes, you are right, there are various parts of each religion and obviously they are not perfect.

Iraq is not poised to do that AT ALL, this law was proposed in August and also shut down by September

This is perfectly correct, @Fizzle1, but it still seems no bad thing to note it, given that with the regime in charge in Iran the outcry's unlikely to have shut the idea down permanently

To say nothing of the encouragement it'll have given some to just go ahead and do it anyway

Thanks for this update- really hope this is true.

I would be a bit hypocritical for the USA to condemn anything when child marriage is legal in 37 states, 10 of which have no minimum age.

What a fucking stupid question. That's like asking why do buildings have sprinkler systems when they may never set on fire. It's risk management.

Just following the example of their blessed prophet

It didn’t. I live in Iraq. There were large protests and public backlash.

I think also important to note - the article is misleading in timing. The article is from 2 days ago with an opening line that “Iraq is poised to….” And another poster mentioned they got a “breaking news” alert….. Iraq is not poised to do that AT ALL, this law was proposed in August and also shut down by September. I guess western newspapers are just picking it up now.

Israel bombing women and children in tents and burying tens of thousands of them under a pile of rubble is helpful how, exactly?

It's ridiculous. nine is far too young, however I wonder if it will actually happen.

Fucking disgusting. No other way to describe it.

I think the title of this post needs to be amended now we know the law has not been passed.

PS I don't see what this has to do with Israel, one way or another.

How utterly horrible.

This narrative of Saddam as a secularist is touted a lot, Grammarnut, along with the trope of the west being to blame for everything, but it gets complicated by the fact that he was just another opportunist who'd switch religion on and off according to what suited

Another useful piece here ...admittedly it's from a US institution but it makes a darned sight more sense than anything Iran's mad dog mullahs have ever produced : https://www.hoover.org/research/legacy-saddams-islam

They are absolute animals

No idea. If you know, feel free to share. It's academic regardless.