Proteste im Irak gegen Legalisierung von Kinderheiraten

Vergangenen Mittwoch verabschiedete das irakische Parlament auf Initiave schiitischer Parteien ein Gesetz, dass die regierung auffordert, das Heiratsalter im Irak auf neun herabzusetzen. Mit neun hatte angeblich Mohammad das erste Mal geschlechtsverkehr mit seiner Lieblingsfrau Aisha, weshalb islamisten, die ja dem Propheten besonders gerne in solchen Punkten nacheifern, dieses Alter für angemessen halten. Schon vor einigen Jahren gab es im Irak einen entsprechenden Vorstoß, der zum Glück scheiterte,

Gestern fanden im Irak Proteste gegen die Iniative statt, über die Al Bawaba berichtet:

One protester, Jabra al-Taee, described the proposed modification as “the assassination of childhood," Irfaa Sawtak reported.

“This is an ISIS law which legitimizes child rape” tweeted @NawalJaffar, while @ahmadadnan94 asked if child marriage was to be allowed, then “what is your problem with ISIS?”

It is “female infanticide,” she added. “She is just 9 years old - which means she hasn’t lived her childhood, and she won’t get a chance to live her youth, because the law will impose upon her a life she knows nothing about.”

The suggested modification is particularly controversial as it would apply Shia Jaafari jurisprudence on all Iraqis for personal status issues, which include marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance.

Around 60 percent of Iraqis are Shia, while approximately 40 percent are Sunni, excluding small Christian and other minority religious communities, according to the CIA Factbook.

A 2013 attempt to introduce a personal status law based on Jaafari jurisprudence solely for the Shia population failed to get approval.

At the time, Human Rights Watch said: "Passage of the Jaafari law would be a disastrous and discriminatory step backward for Iraq's women and girls.

"This personal status law would only entrench Iraq's divisions while the government claims to support equal rights for all."

Opponents warn the suggested changes could further fuel sectarian tensions in the embattled nation.

"Today we have come out as a first step, to launch our outcry - we, the women and the men who are in solidarity with us - against the proposed changes to the personal status law, about which preliminary voting has taken place within parliament,” a protester, Intisar al-Mayali, told Irfaa Sawtak.

“Unfortunately, we are expressing our discontent with what is included in the change, which would completely violate the personal status law, in addition to dividing Iraqis into sects,” she continued.