Iraqi pose lowering legal marriage for girls to age to 9

It doesn't help fighting against the male privilege that is behind laws like this to try and say it is just about one religion.

It is primarily about countries where women have few rights or status. eg christian countries like the Philippines and some in South / Latin America.

(Not forgetting the southern states in the USA)

By making out it is only about Islam helps nobody, and stops women from making the links that it is about male privilege.

Men may try to use religion as "justifaction" for exploiting women, but as is clear, this is just a fig leaf to cover up the fact that this is about exploiting women.

Glad to hear there's been plenty of pushback.

The current law in Iraq (18) is stricter than Scotland!

My daughter is 9. She's just a little girl.

Heartbreaking 💔

It makes you wonder how many men would actually support paedophilia if it was 'culturally acceptable' and how it could possibly become acceptable to the level that men in power actually propose this. Disgust at paedophilia should be one of those human universals, but it clearly isn't.

I'd totally be up for a protest outside the Iraqi embassy 'disgusting paedophiles wanting to rape children' would be my sign.

Iraq's government is in favour of paedophilia. They should be shunned by the rest of the world for this and forevermore be known as nonce nation.

9 is a fairly young child. Horrific.

.I'm waiting to see protests outside the Iraqi embassy but won't hold my breath.

Are you going to be protesting there yourself? Or just waiting for others to.

Reen Alsalem has tweeted.

x.com/UNSRVAW/status/1821165489478852647?t=WwyN5p0mqSIC75AkFGVj7g&s=19

"I will be following this with great concern."

Another article. It's heartbreaking. I'm waiting to see protests outside the Iraqi embassy but won't hold my breath.

www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-women-campaigners-condemn-amendments-could-see-children-married

It's abhorrent.

Profoundly utterly depraved.
Are we in the 21st century or the 12th?

Iraqi Embassy contact details, please let them know how you feel.

https://mofa.gov.iq/london/en/contact-us/

There is absolutely no justification, historical, religious or otherwise that would make marrying nine year olds acceptable. Why 9 for girls but 15 for boys by the way? Im assuming that will be linked to education and the 9 year old wives would be removed from school? Also is 9 the legal age for consummation of the marriage? So potentially we are going to have prepubescent girls trying to give birth through a child’s pelvic capacity? Well what could go wrong!!!!!!!!!

My heart aches for the poor girls. They're just little kids age 9. 😞 😡

Here are a couple of articles that go into some details about the historical precedents for this, and an attempt (I think I have got this right) to return marriage to be about religion (ie not a civil state issue).

Either way it is really depressing.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/new-updates/iraq-plans-to-lower-the-marriage-age-for-girls-to-nine-herere-the-other-proposed-controversial-changes/articleshow/112399995.cms

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/aug/09/proposed-iraqi-law-change-would-legalise-child-say-activists

That argument is a bit like saying that it’s legal to eat dog in Korea, then it should be legalised in the UK. Instead of addressing that it is something the UN/AI have (I believe) been petitioning against in the US, seeking to get the law changed so that children of 9 are not married off in the US and is something we should be fighting for along side ensuring Iraq does not lower the age.

This is when Amnesty International and the UN are supposed to step up.

Just how do the Iraqi government this is in anyway okay in this day and age?