The Axis of Thighing: Albasheer Show skewers proponents of Personal Status Law amendments

NEWSROOM — Ahmed Albasheer, Iraq’s leading political satirist, is using his sharp wit and humor to critique proposed amendments to Iraq’s personal status law in recent episodes of his popular show. Through a mix of comedy sketches, interviews, and commentary on Iraqi media clips, Albasheer shines a light on how these amendments could potentially erode women’s and children’s rights.

The Albasheer Show recently celebrated its silver jubilee, marking 10 years on air. Albasheer describes the program as one that “corrupts the youth and their morals,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, who was accused of corrupting the minds of young people.

One of the central topics of the show is the proposal to grant religious authorities more power in determining marriage laws. Albasheer ridicules politicians and religious leaders who support the amendments, creating a mock “axis” of supporters. He adds new members to this “axis” for each regressive stance, including denying women inheritance rights or backing child marriage.

Proposed amendments to Iraq’s personal status law would allow family matters such as inheritance, divorce, and child custody to be determined by religious authorities or the civil judiciary, depending on individual preference. Critics argue that these changes could weaken existing legal protections, particularly for women, and may lower the minimum marriage age of 18 for Muslim girls.

On Sept. 3, the Iraqi Parliament postponed a session that was supposed to address the second reading of the amendments following widespread protests. The first reading, held on Aug. 4, triggered demonstrations in several cities.

Parliament is set to hold its next session on Monday, where the controversial amendments will be on the agenda for a second reading.

Tackling the issue of child marriage head-on, Albasheer skewers the hypocrisy of those advocating for lowering the minimum marriage age, pointing out that the same politicians would never allow their own daughters to marry at such a young age.

In one segment, the show addresses controversial views on underage marriage. Albasheer plays a clip of a supporter of the amendments who claims, “There are 25 different U.S. states that permit marriage for ages between 12 and 15… I have the proof for that right here.” The satirist then shows another clip of a religious leader claiming, “In some U.S. states, a 13-year-old is not considered a minor.”

Albasheer responds: “But, those states also don’t have laws for people who eat shit on TV. Do you know why? It’s because no one even thinks about this. And second, they have strict laws on pedophilia.”

He says of the U.S: “Even the lowest scumbags in society consider pedophiles even lower.”

The issue of child marriage is underscored by real-world data. According to a report by Unchained At Last, nearly 300,000 minors were legally married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018. The report reveals that most of these marriages involved girls aged 16 or 17, typically wed to older men.

Addressing the absurdity of copying such laws from the West, Albasheer highlights the irony that many conservative Iraqis view the U.S. as a country to avoid emulating. In most cases, the U.S. is seen as a symbol of moral decay and liberal excess. “Let’s say this does exist in America. They’re son-of-a-bitch godless infidels—why do you want to copy them? You’d never copy anything else from them, but suddenly, on this issue, America becomes your idol.”

The show’s humor takes a darker turn when Albasheer discusses religious opinions that could permit sexual acts with minors, such as “mufakhadha” (thighing). He dubs the supporters of these amendments the “Axis of Mufakhadha.”

Albasheer’s coining of the “Axis of Thighing” may be a jab at the same individuals who often rally behind the Iran-affiliated “Axis of Resistance,” a movement that opposes U.S. and Israeli influence in the region.

In a mock critique of the proposed amendments, Albasheer asks, “What’s wrong with the new personal status law? Why do you hate it?” He sarcastically suggests that proponents of the amendments are essentially telling women, “You should only care about groceries and beauty products.”

The Albasheer Show also features interviews with two lawyers who clearly explain the legal dangers posed by the amendments. They highlight how women could lose inheritance rights, how child marriage could be legalized, and how sex trafficking might increase. The lawyers stress that the amendments violate international agreements Iraq has signed.

“The Parliament is full of old Hajjis who obviously think they understand these issues better than I do,” Albasheer quips.

The Albasheer Show is banned in Iraq and is produced by Germany’s DW. Going out on YouTube, episodes rack up millions of views.