Iraq’s parliament added controversial amendments to one of the country’s laws on Tuesday, Jan. 22, which critics say will effectively make child marriage legal. The amendments give Islamic courts more authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce and inheritance.
Critics say it undermines Iraq’s 1959 personal status law, which unified family law and established safeguards for women.
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Right now, the minimum age of marriage in Iraq is 18 in most cases. The changes would let clerics rule on the subject according to their own interpretation of Islamic law. Some denominations interpret such law to allow girls as young as nine years old to be married.
Supporters of the new legislation say it’s a way to align Iraq’s laws with Islamic principles and reduce Western influence.
