Iraqi pose lowering legal marriage for girls to age to 9

[Soubriquet]

Couldn’t see another thread so here

link

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?

It wasn’t mentioned on the page, but I have heard one argument being “well it’s legal for girls in some states of US to marry at 9, and that didn’t lead to an increase of child brides” but I think it’s a lot different from already having the legal age of 9 (which shouldn’t happen), and then lowering it

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.

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

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

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!!!!!!!!!

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/

It's abhorrent.

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

.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.

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

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.

Glad to hear there's been plenty of pushback.

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

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.

I'm not sure what your point is. Here and now the Iraqi government is trying to roll back the gains that have been made over the last few years. They are justifying it by Sharia Law. This isn't business as usual it is regression in women's rights. Just as has happened in other Islamic countries. Iraq is slowly moving towards a theocracy.

Why can't you just condemn this, even if you say it is a wrong interpretation of the Quran.

Sickening.

It is already legal for girls in some states of the US to marry at 9?

That is shocking, isn't it?

And Iraq wants to change its law to match the law in those states of the US?

Surely the best and un-hypocritical thing to do to stop Iraq in its tracks would be to get those US states to raise the legal age for girl marriage?

Absolutely sickening.

I think they justify it because the prophet Muhammad was supposed to have gotten married to his wife (one of them at least) when she was 9. It’s horrible. I have a 9yo and she’s very much a young child. Stitch obsessed, loves Minecraft and teddy bears. The idea that other children her age could be forced into marriage is obscene.

How would this square with child abuse? Is that not currently a crime there, how are they somehow ignoring that aspect?

Lowering the age of marriage to 9 fits with Ayatollah Khomeini's ideas (Iran). Hate to post Wikipedia but here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahrir_al-Wasilah
At the end, under Controversies.
Hope does not get removed - I am trying very hard to follow MN guidelines.

Five states in the US have no lower age limit for marriage.

This organisation campaigns to end child marriage in the US. They have some shocking figures here - 10 and 11 year olds married.

These are outwith the norm; the main problem is 16 and 17 year olds being married when they are legally not able to leave home/divorce.

https://www.unchainedatlast.org/child-marriage-shocking-statistics/

This is shocking to me. Both Iraq going the way of a crazy theocracy and the USA being woefully inadequate in protecting their young girls