Women’s rights activists have raised the alarm after a dangerous bill resurfaced in Iraq’s parliament which could increase underage marriage.
The bill would allow citizens to choose either religious leaders or civil judiciaries to ‘decide on family affairs’ – and could effectively lower the age for girls to marry to as low as nine.
Some sources cite that the Prophet Muhammad married one of his wives, Aisha, when she as nine. It’s a topic that has been debated over the years – others say she was 18.
But in Iraq, 28% of girls are married before the age of 18, according to UNICEF. 22% of unregistered marriages in the country are with girls below the age of 14.
The law states that ‘Muslims of age’ who wish to marry must choose between the country’s 1959 ‘personal status law’ or Sharia Islamic rules.
The 1959 law changed family matters from an issue for religious authorities to that of the state, and set the marriage age at 18.
Constitutional expert Zaid al-Ali told France24 the 1959 law borrowed ‘the most progressive rules of each different sect, causing a huge source of irritation for Islamic authorities’.
Lawmakers are maintaining the 1959 law but the new bill would allow citizens to choose whether they use the age of 18 for marriage, or abide by religious rules.
Ali said: ‘They are giving men the option to shop in their own favour.’
But giving citizens the option to choose between the legal marriage age of 18 and religious laws, which place it much lower, has been slammed by human rights organisations.
Campaigners have branded the proposal degrading and barbaric, with activist Suhalia Al Assam telling The National on Wednesday: ‘Would politicians let their nine-year-old daughter get married? I’m sure not but they would allow the oppressed Iraqi population to do so.’
Human Rights Watch said: ‘Girls belong on the playground and in school, not in a wedding dress.’
Earlier this year, Payzee Malika wrote about her experience when she was married at the age of 16 – while living in South London.
Marriage with ‘parental consent’ was previously legal above the age of 16 in the UK – meaning that without her knowledge, Payzee’s parents arranged for her to get married to a 30-year-old man.
She wrote: ‘That was the day my childhood vanished right before my eyes.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
