Coordination Framework urges parliament to pass personal status law amendment

BAGHDAD — The Shia Coordination Framework, Iraq’s largest parliamentary bloc, urged lawmakers to proceed with the first reading of a contentious amendment to the 1959 Personal Status Law, claiming it promotes “freedom of choice” and adheres to the Iraqi constitution.

Following a meeting at the office of Nouri Al-Maliki, the Framework stated the amendment would regulate personal status issues across various sects and religions without abolishing the existing law. Established in 2021, the Coordination Framework includes major Shia parties such as Sairoon, Nasr, State of Law, Hikma, and Fatah.

Civil society organizations in Iraq have expressed outrage about the potential re-introduction of the amendments following the postponement. Labeling the amendment “a crime against Iraqi families,” activists read a statement during a June 28 protest in Al-Tahrir Square. For security reasons, the names of the organizations were withheld. The activists called for continued opposition through peaceful means and the mobilization of relevant legal and social entities.

Critics argue the amendments could legalize marriages conducted outside the court, base marital laws on the husband’s sect, deny women inheritance rights, and permit child marriage for girls as young as nine under Shia Jaafari jurisprudence.

Despite a delay in the scheduled July 24 first reading due to inter-factional disagreements, some Shia parliamentarians advocate for a session to discuss and possibly ratify the amendments, which would also allow men to marry a second wife without the first wife’s consent.

The Framework contends that the amendment supports the constitution’s guarantee of freedom of choice “as long as it does not conflict with Sharia principles and democratic foundations.” The proposed changes would allow individuals to choose their religious sect to govern personal and marital issues.