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

[Waitingforfriday75]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/women-and-girls/iraq-poised-to-lower-the-age-of-consent-for-girls-to-nine/

Posted here as it gets the most traffic. This is by far the worst news I’ve heard all year. Imagine at the age you were meant to start secondary school instead being forced to marry and have sex with an older man. Completely disgusting!!!

this is obviously a much bigger problem in Iraq, because men have more power in family, community and government than in western countries currently.

A much bigger problem in Iraq is due to the tribal and family structures, for example, I can legally request a divorce by law in Iraq as a woman - there is no law against this (like I could in Europe) however unlike Europe, here you have maybe your tribe, your community and family who will disown if you get divorced, so many women stay in abusive marriages and suffer GBV as they feel trapped due to social stigma.

Ok that's useful. This sounds concerning to me. I wouldn't want my dd to experience those power structures (or any of my dc really) although I appreciate you taking the time to explain in more detail what it's like.

No I wouldn’t either for any of my family members.

This type of behaviour change takes years, as clearly this structure benefits men so a lot are unhappy to see that go and women have equal power - it’s also been a way of life and these tribal affiliations have supported and protected different people through all the different wars and conflicts, also disadvantaged others as well!

In the 50s Iraq kicked out their king, then had a coup in the early 60s another coup in the late 60s, went to war with Iran for the majority of the 80s, decided to invade Kuwait in early 90s, lived under a dictatorship, was invaded by the Americans in the early 2000s, another regime change, saw the rise of ISIS in the 2010’s.

So all that is going on in the background while women are trying to fight and advocate for equal rights, trying to ensure their children are protected etc.

I’m not trying to excuse Iraq for not having a positive society for women and children (I work in children’s rights) - Just trying to show that Iraq and other countries need to be supported to make these changes.

No one is trying to prove all Muslims are bad. You seem paranoid about this. There are good and bad Muslims, the same as good and bad people exist in other religions.

I wouldn't like to hear about any 9 year olds being raped of any nationality, religion.

If you read the complete thread you would know that I was answering someone speculating about what Western countries could do.

Child marriage should be banned everywhere. If you look at other posts I mention the UK too.

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Put your own house in order"?

The USA, s you said has a different legal system and is not supported by Islam (evangelical Christianity is another thing) so why is it legal there? How difficult is it to outlaw it?

Exactly, other than prolific paedophilia, why is this even being proposed? What are the benefits to marrying them so early? They can’t have children until they hit puberty. I know that is arriving at an alarmingly early age but 9-10 is still (mercifully?) too physically young to go through childbirth safely.

It must be so that they are legal chattel and sold to these dirty old fucks to move in and become their domestic slaves. And rape victims, let’s be honest. God what a world we live in. There was a poster the other day who was concerned about a number of young male immigrants moving into a hotel local to her, which had been kept quiet. They were from many different countries but it worried her that some were from countries who did not respect or treat women as equals and she had teenaged daughters who would be going out at night in that area. She was absolutely shot down.

Not every country is sexist as a whole, but the two mentioned - Iraq and Afghanistan (and all those with similar attitudes) are indoctrinating their boys and young men into believing this is acceptable there and they will obviously be carrying this idea with them if and when they move elsewhere. Why wouldn't they? Its obvious it is wrong to us, who have laws ensuring equal rights, but misogyny is still very much a thing here in the west and is getting worse thanks to the likes of Andrew Tate et al. Look at what’s happening in AMERICA (the land of the free) with abortion FFS!!!

Women’s rights are being eroded globally and it is frightening to watch it happening so blatantly and to girls so very young. God help them because nobody else will it seems 😢

Exactly, other than prolific paedophilia, why is this even being proposed?

This is not being specifically proposed. What is being proposed is allowing all the different sects to make laws/decisions based on their own beliefs/teachings. This would leave women and girls with basically no rights. It affects more than the age of marriage, like inheritance,divorce,custody etc. Some of the ultra religious sects follow a version of "Islam" that would see the age of 9 as acceptable, which is why it's a possible (likely?!?) outcome. Extremely fucked up , of course.

However, there is no actual law being proposed that says lower age of consent from 18 (15 with permission) to 9.

Has what you've outlined here with wider impact been stopped or is it still a possibility do you know?

America has a big problem with child marriage, because of complex legal loopholes, and it still is, in some parts of the US considered an accepted cultural practice. Of course many states, have outlawed the practice, raising the minimum age to 18, but you would think that this would not be happening in the “land of the free” in 2024. My point is that women and girls are consistently denied basic human rights because of their gender, throughout many parts of the world, add to this the likes of Andrew Tate, and there is a full on blown misogyny movement, to take women back to the dark ages. In that way, we are definitely regressing as societies. The rights that some men are still asking for, legally still debating for, in many parts of the world, in regards to getting access women's and girl’s bodies, in this day and age, is utterly depraved, and just unbelievable to me. If God does exist, why would he allow such horrific abuse, and abuse of any kind to take place? Clearly, he has no interest in helping these poor women and girls. I guess that “he” did not create everyone as equal.

The Quran’s Sura 5:33 says about infidels, “They shall be slain or crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off.” Sura 9:5 says, “Slay the infidels wherever you find them ... and lie in wait for them ... and establish every stratagem (of war against them).” Sura 47:4-9 promises paradise to whoever cuts off the head of an infidel.

Can you explain these extracts from the Quran?

That’s not what this poster said. She didn’t say ‘the Jews can’t be trusted’ she said the state of Israel as an actor in this conflict can’t be trusted. It’s not the same thing at all. So many Jewish people are appalled at what Israel is doing, but you’re probably not aware of that because it doesn’t fit your inflammatory and inaccurate narrative.

You mean the argument that was deleted? Why is criticism of the actions of the State of Israel anti semitic ? Do you really see the most satisfactory outcome as the West prevailing given what this means, and has already meant for the civilians in Gaza ?

I was agreeing with you, and ‘God help
them’ was being used as the phrase, similar to ‘God only knows’, it wasn’t meant to be literal. I was going to clarify that in my post, anticipating a reaction like yours but didn’t think I’d need to. I obv did. And now have. The end.

I agree that not being allowed to question a leader or state's actions under the accusation of racism or anti-semitism is not helpful and is fucking ridiculous.

It’s censorship.

On a side note - Netanyahu seems EXTREMELY keen that Trump has won the presidency - that should surely ring alarm bells.

I’m assuming your comment was deleted as you had said that you felt the current conflict in Gaza reflects a more existential battle of Islam vs “The west” which conflates the actions of a terrorist organisation - with a religion followed by nearly 2 billion people, and indirectly associates anyone who follows Islam as being in the same “grouping” as Hamas which I think we can all understand that isn’t the case (and I’m sure you yourself as well wouldn’t associate followers of Islam within your own community as being similar to a prescribed terrorist organisation?)

You also admitted you would categorise yourself as “Islamophobic” and didn’t see a problem with that.

I’m not going to debate our different views on the conflict in general as there is free speech and you have the right to say “I think Israel is right” , in the same way I have the right to say “I think Israel is wrong”

However, it is quite concerning that you don’t see self identifying as “Islamophobic” to be within the scope of hate speech ….seeing as Islamophobia is described as a hatred, dislike, discrimination or hostility towards someone purely for the reason they are Muslim.

In the same way that there is no place for antisemitism, the hatred of a person purely based on their Jewish identity, there is equally no place for Islamophobia and the hatred of a person purely based on their Muslim identity.

I actually didn’t report you. Somebody else was obvs offended by your islamophobic comments. I would rather they stayed so everybody could see your hysteria. Anyway no time to keep commenting as often. Working so that my tax money is used to genocide the people of Palestine and Lebanon! 😡🤬

Wondering if you reported yourself and got it deleted as it was very shameful?

Wow, misogyny much? How convenient for you that my comments have been deleted so you can say whatever you like about them.

I described myself as afraid for myself and for women and girls in general if the terrorists of Hamas and Hezbollah win and Sharia Law becomes custom in more places.

I don't hate or discriminate against Muslims. I'm afraid of fundamentalist Islamists - those individuals and religious cults who want to destroy all Jews, destroy the West, enslave women, abuse children, behead teachers, blow up pop stars, stab little girls to death etc. I'm aware that this is not all Muslims by any stretch, and made that clear in my comments. But it's a fact that there are Islamic groups and individuals who are absolutely conducting campaigns of terror, and I don't think it's racist to be a) scared of that, and b) to point this out to others who seem intent on pretending that Hamas is not a genocidal anti-semitic woman-hating cult.

I'm actually pretty offended that my reasonable comments were deleted and so now people can pretend I said all sorts of things. Either let my comments stand so we can debate fairly, or leave me out of it altogether. Stop misrepresenting what I said. My points are perfectly reasonable and fair.

Why didn't the half a million people who died under Assad's regime create this level of ire in you?

I remember your last post very well and re read it many times to make sure I was responding correctly. I spent a fair bit of time writing a response that I felt got my point across in as less as a confrontational way as possible, and you did specifically say you would consider yourself Islamophobic.

You’ve now stated it is from fear - and not from hatred - it is still good that your previous post was removed, in the same way a post with someone professing to be an antisemite should also be removed.

All the examples you give are examples of extremists who have been groomed into committing terrible acts. I actually design and manage programs for reintegration of former ISIS members (pretty much as extreme as they come!) who need to be reintegrated back into society, and the number 1 thing (especially in non muslim
countries) that create a fertile ground for this type of extremism are the types of generalised comments that you made previously - which is why it’s so important those comments are corrected.

The best way for all us to combat extremism from any background, is to eliminate the dehumanisation, and othering that creates the space for these extremists to exploit vulnerable people (as no sane normal person decides to blow themselves up! Or behead someone) Because you are correct on one point - it is completely reasonable to be against rape, beheadings, murder and the removal of people’s rights.

It’s not at all racist to say what you just said about fears regarding Hamas, however you didn’t say that in the removed post - you said that you see the conflict in Gaza/Israel as “Islam against the West” which is a pretty racist remark.

I appreciate those who are offering insight and I'm wondering about this post, if anyone would like to say more