Iraq’s New Law Proposal: Lower Age of Consent for Girls to Just Nine

[Social Media]

 

In a move that has sparked widespread outrage, Iraq’s conservative Shia Muslim political factions are pushing a new law that would drastically lower the age of consent for girls, from 18 to just nine. This proposed amendment, if passed, would not only allow men to marry young girls but also strip women of basic rights such as divorce, child custody, and inheritance.

 

The law in question, known as Law 188, was originally introduced in 1959 and is seen as a progressive piece of legislation in the Middle East. It established a set of rules that governed family matters across Iraq, regardless of sect or religious affiliation. But now, under the influence of conservative Shia factions, Iraq’s parliament is on the verge of repealing this landmark law in favor of an amendment that aligns with a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

 

The proposed changes are chilling, particularly for Iraq’s women and girls. The age of consent would be slashed, allowing men to marry girls as young as nine—a move that is being framed as a means to protect “young girls” from “immoral relationships.” Furthermore, the amendment would erase women’s rights to divorce, child custody, and inheritance, essentially placing women under the control of their male relatives.

 

Dr. Renad Mansour, a senior fellow at Chatham House, noted that this is the closest the amendment has come to passing, citing the significant political backing from Shia Islamist parties. "It has more momentum than it's ever had, primarily because of the Shia parties," Mansour explained, emphasizing how these groups are seeking to consolidate their power and regain legitimacy by pushing for the amendment.

 

If passed, the law would be a devastating blow to Iraq’s social fabric. Human rights experts, such as Sarah Sanbar of Human Rights Watch, warn that the amendment would not merely undermine the rights of women but would actively erase them. These changes would further entrench a system where women are denied access to education, health care, and financial independence.

 

Athraa Al-Hassan, an international human rights legal adviser, expressed concern that this shift could pave the way for Iraq to adopt the Guardianship of the Jurist system—a form of religious rule that places supreme authority in the hands of a religious leader, similar to the system in place in Iran. Al-Hassan fears that such a change would not only harm women but could also destabilize Iraq’s already fragile governance.

 

Already, child marriage is a significant issue in Iraq, with some 28% of women married by the age of 18, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund. A loophole in the current personal status law allows religious leaders, rather than the courts, to officiate marriages, some involving girls as young as 15. This practice often leaves these girls in marriages that are unrecognized by the state, denying them a range of legal protections, including health care access and rights to inheritance.

 

The new amendment would legitimize these religious marriages, exposing young girls to even greater risks of physical and sexual violence. It would also make it more difficult for women to escape abusive situations or pursue opportunities for education and employment.

 

The impact of the proposed amendments goes beyond women’s rights, with fears that they could deepen Iraq’s sectarian divides. While the law would offer citizens the option to choose between secular or religious legal systems, it would also prioritize the sect of the husband in cases of dispute, stripping women of their agency and reinforcing patriarchal control.

 

Protests have already erupted across Iraq, with activists calling out the government for attempting to legalize child marriage and institutionalize gender inequality. One such activist, Al-Hassan, condemned the proposal as a "very dangerous" infringement on Iraq's constitution and democratic principles, adding that it would set the country back decades in its quest for progress and equality.

“Iraq is a civil state,” she argued. “We aspire to progress, not regress.” 

 

As Iraq faces this critical juncture, the battle for women’s rights and gender equality is intensifying. The outcome of this proposed law could determine the future of not only women’s freedoms but also the nation’s ability to heal from the divisions that have long plagued it. If passed, it would signal a significant retreat into a patriarchal, theocratic system that would jeopardize the rights of the most vulnerable members of Iraqi society. The world is watching to see whether Iraq will choose progress or regression.

 

Based on a report by Daily Telegraph 2024-11-11

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

This is likely to result in certain western heads exploding in outrage.

 

Seriously, from my time in Saudi, it surprises me not at all, as it was not unknown for old men to marry very young girls, and require surgery to enable them to meet the obligation of the first night.

[sherwood]

Muslims. Sure are a queer mob.

[scottiejohn]

Isn't 9Yo a bit old for a goat?

[Bkk Brian]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

This is likely to result in certain western heads exploding in outrage.

 

Seriously, from my time in Saudi, it surprises me not at all, as it was not unknown for old men to marry very young girls, and require surgery to enable them to meet the obligation of the first night.

And why wouldn't it outrage the west? Its legalized child rape.

[JonnyF]

Would criticizing this proposal make you Islamaphobic?

 

Just checking, don't fancy a 3 stretch from 2 Tier Keir for being "grossly offensive". 

[brewsterbudgen]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Would criticizing this proposal make you Islamaphobic?

 

Just checking, don't fancy a 3 stretch from 2 Tier Keir for being "grossly offensive". 

No,  any rational person, including 99% of muslims, would criticise this.

[Bkk Brian]

28 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

No,  any rational person, including 99% of muslims, would criticise this.

You sure about that, I just checked one other Muslim country Iran and they allow female child marriage from 9 years of age.

 

The legal age for marriage in Iran is 9-13 for girls and 15 for boys

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_in_Iran

 

Not sure about other muslim countries, can't be bothered to check its so sick

[lordgrinz]

The Barbarians still exist, don't be fooled people, they are a threat to civilized society.

[mdr224]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

This is likely to result in certain western heads exploding in outrage.

 

Seriously, from my time in Saudi, it surprises me not at all, as it was not unknown for old men to marry very young girls, and require surgery to enable them to meet the obligation of the first night.

Liberals will come to their defense. They are not outraged

[georgegeorgia]

3 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

Isn't 9Yo a bit old for a goat?

Well it's better than being an old goat Scottie ! 

Or even a goat with long pockets 

[James105]

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

No,  any rational person, including 99% of muslims, would criticise this.

 

Erm, didn't their 53 year old prophet famously marry and consummate that marriage with a 9 year old?  Do they criticize him?

[brewsterbudgen]

10 minutes ago, James105 said:

 

Erm, didn't their 53 year old prophet famously marry and consummate that marriage with a 9 year old?  Do they criticize him?

I doubt it, but out of the 2 billion in the world, including many here in Thailand and millions in Malaysia and Indonesia, I would think most would criticise this change to the law in Iraq.  

[Bkk Brian]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I doubt it, but out of the 2 billion in the world, including many here in Thailand and millions in Malaysia and Indonesia, I would think most would criticise this change to the law in Iraq.  

What you think and the reality has already proven to be untrue after your first post went up.

[James105]

3 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I doubt it, but out of the 2 billion in the world, including many here in Thailand and millions in Malaysia and Indonesia, I would think most would criticise this change to the law in Iraq.  

 

Why are they so quiet about it then?  Try and imagine what would happen if a western country announced this kind of policy and the outrage and protests it would generate.   

[BritManToo]

Report seems unlikely, as there is no right of consent under Sharia Laws. You are either married and allowed, or unmarried and prohibited. Sex outside marriage is subject to jail or death.

[Bkk Brian]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Report seems unlikely, as there is no right of consent under Sharia Laws. You are either married and allowed, or unmarried and prohibited. Sex outside marriage is subject to jail or death.

What's that got to do with the law for a female to be married at 9 years old?

[georgegeorgia]

11 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I doubt it, but out of the 2 billion in the world, including many here in Thailand and millions in Malaysia and Indonesia, I would think most would criticise this change to the law in Iraq.  

What you think ?

In a perfect world my friend ,in a perfect world they think what you think they would think but don't think what you think do they..no 

 

[georgegeorgia]

1 hour ago, mdr224 said:

Liberals will come to their defense. They are not outraged

Oh don't be Islamophobic 

 

Embrace diversity,embrace awareness and respect, enrichment and multicultural aspects 

 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

This is likely to result in certain western heads exploding in outrage.

.

 

   There is only one group of people who would be in favour of this .

Only a  certain minority  group of people would be in of  favour Adults having sexual relationships with Children .

 

[Presnock]

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

This is likely to result in certain western heads exploding in outrage.

 

Seriously, from my time in Saudi, it surprises me not at all, as it was not unknown for old men to marry very young girls, and require surgery to enable them to meet the obligation of the first night.

EXACTLY sick!  I too have lived in a Muslim country and there too every day sickening stories in the newspapers on the barbaric treatment of females, young or old.  I am not a religious fanatic by any means but I certainly believe in equality and fair treatment of women.  ( nine years of age or 11 or 12 in other Muslim countries - these are little girls no matter how you look at them).  Like the rapes in India too - seen as a way to make a female forced by her family to wed the rapist or they lose face!  Another sick society and not all Muslim either.  They have tribal courts (no real legal courts, just elders who make the laws) and several times I have read where they hand down a verdict of the males of the raped victim are to then rape the young female of the rapist's family.  Just totally stone-age thinking where women are just treated as  slaves.  MHO is that these countries should be penalized by the west but they have oil so nothing will ever happen.  

[bradiston]

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

In a move that has sparked widespread outrage, Iraq’s conservative Shia Muslim political factions are pushing a new law that would drastically lower the age of consent for girls, from 18 to just nine. This proposed amendment, if passed, would not only allow men to marry young girls but also strip women of basic rights such as divorce, child custody, and inheritance.

 

The law in question, known as Law 188, was originally introduced in 1959 and is seen as a progressive piece of legislation in the Middle East. It established a set of rules that governed family matters across Iraq, regardless of sect or religious affiliation. But now, under the influence of conservative Shia factions, Iraq’s parliament is on the verge of repealing this landmark law in favor of an amendment that aligns with a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

 

The proposed changes are chilling, particularly for Iraq’s women and girls. The age of consent would be slashed, allowing men to marry girls as young as nine—a move that is being framed as a means to protect “young girls” from “immoral relationships.” Furthermore, the amendment would erase women’s rights to divorce, child custody, and inheritance, essentially placing women under the control of their male relatives.

 

Dr. Renad Mansour, a senior fellow at Chatham House, noted that this is the closest the amendment has come to passing, citing the significant political backing from Shia Islamist parties. "It has more momentum than it's ever had, primarily because of the Shia parties," Mansour explained, emphasizing how these groups are seeking to consolidate their power and regain legitimacy by pushing for the amendment.

 

If passed, the law would be a devastating blow to Iraq’s social fabric. Human rights experts, such as Sarah Sanbar of Human Rights Watch, warn that the amendment would not merely undermine the rights of women but would actively erase them. These changes would further entrench a system where women are denied access to education, health care, and financial independence.

 

Athraa Al-Hassan, an international human rights legal adviser, expressed concern that this shift could pave the way for Iraq to adopt the Guardianship of the Jurist system—a form of religious rule that places supreme authority in the hands of a religious leader, similar to the system in place in Iran. Al-Hassan fears that such a change would not only harm women but could also destabilize Iraq’s already fragile governance.

 

Already, child marriage is a significant issue in Iraq, with some 28% of women married by the age of 18, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund. A loophole in the current personal status law allows religious leaders, rather than the courts, to officiate marriages, some involving girls as young as 15. This practice often leaves these girls in marriages that are unrecognized by the state, denying them a range of legal protections, including health care access and rights to inheritance.

 

The new amendment would legitimize these religious marriages, exposing young girls to even greater risks of physical and sexual violence. It would also make it more difficult for women to escape abusive situations or pursue opportunities for education and employment.

 

The impact of the proposed amendments goes beyond women’s rights, with fears that they could deepen Iraq’s sectarian divides. While the law would offer citizens the option to choose between secular or religious legal systems, it would also prioritize the sect of the husband in cases of dispute, stripping women of their agency and reinforcing patriarchal control.

 

Protests have already erupted across Iraq, with activists calling out the government for attempting to legalize child marriage and institutionalize gender inequality. One such activist, Al-Hassan, condemned the proposal as a "very dangerous" infringement on Iraq's constitution and democratic principles, adding that it would set the country back decades in its quest for progress and equality.

“Iraq is a civil state,” she argued. “We aspire to progress, not regress.” 

 

As Iraq faces this critical juncture, the battle for women’s rights and gender equality is intensifying. The outcome of this proposed law could determine the future of not only women’s freedoms but also the nation’s ability to heal from the divisions that have long plagued it. If passed, it would signal a significant retreat into a patriarchal, theocratic system that would jeopardize the rights of the most vulnerable members of Iraqi society. The world is watching to see whether Iraq will choose progress or regression.

 

Based on a report by Daily Telegraph 2024-11-11

 

 

 

Shia Iran next on the hitlist.

[Yagoda]

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Would criticizing this proposal make you Islamaphobic?

 

Just checking, don't fancy a 3 stretch from 2 Tier Keir for being "grossly offensive". 

Hey Im an American so I can call them terrorist child abusing slave owning scumbags. What are they going to do? Send their hit squads? Ill give them my address, a rednecks wet dream that.

[harryviking]

So, we will have the Land Of Pedophiles. Iraq. Muslims show their real faces again. When will the world react and get rid of these people from their lands!

[black tabby12345]

Iraq seems to be even reverting back to pre-Saddam Hussein era.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

40 minutes ago, harryviking said:

So, we will have the Land Of Pedophiles. Iraq. Muslims show their real faces again. When will the world react and get rid of these people from their lands!

 

Are you referring to the lands of Mesopotamia and Sumeria - some of the world’s earliest cradles of civilisation?

 

These regions, often celebrated as the birthplace of structured education and the written word, laid the foundations for many aspects of modern culture, governance, and intellectual development.

 

For millennia, these lands have been deeply intertwined with the heritage of the Iraqi people.

 

Thus - suggesting 'get these people from their lands' shows a fundamental flaw in the understanding of the history of the area.

 

That said: The geopolitical influence of the Iranian Islamic Republic over Iraq plays a significant role in the consolidation of Shia power across the Middle East, the "Shia Crescent." This alliance spans from Iran through Iraq to Syria and Lebanon, shaping the region’s balance of power and influencing both domestic and international policies.

 

In Iraq, Iran’s influence has been particularly pronounced since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

This influence can be seen in legislative changes and social policies that restrict freedoms, reduce diversity of thought towards religious conservatism.

 

The consequences of such influences are visible not only in Iraq but also in other regional hotspots. In Afghanistan and Yeman, for example, a similar ideological extremism has resulted in severe rollbacks of civil liberties.

 

Extremist ideologies, whether they stem from political, religious, or other dogmatic beliefs frequently erode the foundational principles of any flourishing society.

 

Meanwhile, the devided reaction in Western nations enables home grown political devsion which indirectly emboldens authoritarian regimes that view these freedoms as vulnerabilities.

 

 

In summary: Iran is pulling the strings in the whole region and the errosion of civil rights in the region is the result - Anyone protesting in support of palestine emboldens the 'Shia Crescent'...  (its obviously more complext that that simplistic and dumbed down summary - however, the Iranian Islamic Republic is at the crux of the whole Middle East issue and has been since 1979).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[giddyup]

Not just Iraq.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/sep/11/yemen-child-bride-dies-wedding

[animalmagic]

3 hours ago, mdr224 said:

Liberals will come to their defense. They are not outraged

What a ludicrous post!

Political beliefs have naff all to do with this.

[bradiston]

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

Hey Im an American so I can call them terrorist child abusing slave owning scumbags. What are they going to do? Send their hit squads? Ill give them my address, a rednecks wet dream that.

Why don't you go and bag a few? As trophies, like.

[richard_smith237]

46 minutes ago, animalmagic said:

What a ludicrous post!

Political beliefs have naff all to do with this.

 

I disagree, as addressed above - Political beliefs, specifically, the Islamic Republic of Iran; the "Shia Crescent", is the leading factor in the spread of such ideological extremism, resulting in the rollbacks of civil liberties in places such as Iraq where there is a growing Shia representation and influence from Iran.