Iraqi parliament postpones session on controversial personal status law amendments

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Parliament has postponed a session that was scheduled for the second reading of proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law, leaving the date for the next proceedings undetermined. The delay follows intense debate and widespread controversy surrounding the amendments.

The session, initially planned for Tuesday, was to include a second reading of amendments to the Personal Status Law No. 188 of 1959. The first reading of these amendments, held on Aug. 4, sparked protests in several cities. The Shia Coordination Framework, Iraq’s largest parliamentary bloc, supports the amendments under the pretext of “freedom of choice.”

However, a newly formed women’s opposition bloc within parliament, alongside various civil society and women’s groups, has voiced strong opposition, calling for public resistance against the changes.

In a terse five-word statement, the legislature’s media office announced: “The Iraqi Parliament postpones its session.”

The proposed amendments would allow family matters such as inheritance, divorce, and child custody to be governed by religious authorities or the civil judiciary, depending on the preference of the individuals involved. Critics argue that these changes could weaken existing legal protections, particularly for women and children, and might lead to the elimination of the minimum marriage age of 18 for Muslim girls.

The U.S. State Department has expressed concerns about the proposed amendments. Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel warned of potential risks to the rights of women and children, calling for a “civic dialogue” that respects both religious freedom and individual rights. He emphasized the importance of involving Iraqi citizens in the discussion. U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad Alina Romanowski echoed these concerns by sharing Patel’s statement on social media platform X, along with an Arabic translation.

A recent survey conducted by the Iraq Polling Team revealed that 73.2% of Iraqis “strongly oppose” the proposed amendments. The survey, conducted between Aug. 13 and Aug. 15, included responses from 61,648 participants nationwide.

Ali Al-Madan, an Iraqi researcher specializing in religious thought, described the proposed amendments on UTV as a “sectarian replacement” rather than mere revisions to the existing law.

Similarly, Iraqi thinker Haider Saeed argued that both the 1945 monarchical and 1959 republican versions of the law aimed to “select the best religious rulings” while ensuring protections for women, who have historically been marginalized and in need of state protection.

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