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Iraqi lawmaker claims EU issued “threats” over proposed amendments to personal status law

2024-08-31 | 19:25

BAGHDAD — Abbas Al-Jubouri, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Iraqi Parliament, has stated that Iraq has received “real threats” from various parties within the European Union, warning of reduced diplomatic relations and possible sanctions if amendments to the 1959 Personal Status Law are passed.

“These pressures and threats are completely unacceptable,” Al-Jubouri told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. “No foreign intervention in any Iraqi matter will be tolerated. This law is Iraqi, and it is the Iraqis who will determine its form and content.”

The first reading of the amendments on Aug. 4 sparked protests in several cities. While the Shia Coordination Framework, Iraq’s largest parliamentary bloc, supports the amendments under the banner of “freedom of choice,” a new women’s opposition bloc has emerged within parliament. Additionally, various civil society and women’s groups have expressed strong rejection of the amendments and have called for public support against them.

Al-Jubouri said “most parliamentarians are determined to amend this law, and there is a clear parliamentary majority supporting this amendment. All international pressures and interventions will not and cannot prevent the parliament from proceeding with this amendment.”

The amendments in question would allow family matters such as inheritance, divorce, and child custody to be governed by either religious authorities or the civil judiciary. Critics fear that these changes could weaken protections and might lead to the elimination of the minimum marriage age of 18 for Muslim girls.

The U.S. State Department has previously expressed concerns about the proposed amendments to Iraq’s 1959 Personal Status Law. Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel highlighted potential risks to the rights of women and children and called for a “civic dialogue” that respects religious freedom and individual rights, urging the involvement of Iraqi citizens in the discussion. U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad Alina Romanowski reinforced the U.S. stance by reposting Patel’s statement on the social media platform X, with an Arabic translation.

Opposition efforts are intensifying amid attacks on members and supporters of Coalition 188, a group advocating for the current law, in Najaf and Basra. A recent survey by the Iraq Polling Team found that 73.2% of Iraqis “strongly oppose” the proposed amendments, with only 23.8% expressing strong support. The survey included 61,648 participants nationwide between August 13 and August 15.

Ali Al-Madan, an Iraqi researcher specializing in religious thought, discussed the ongoing debate on UTV, arguing that the proposed amendments are not merely changes but represent a “replacement” that is “sectarian” in nature.

Iraqi thinker Haider Saeed has also voiced concerns, emphasizing that both the 1945 (monarchical) and 1959 (republican) versions of the law were not intended to abolish Islamic jurisprudence. Instead, he says, they aimed to “select the best religious rulings” while ensuring protections for women, who have historically been marginalized and in need of state protection.