Iraq’s new government allows marriages with 9-year-old girls

The new Iraqi parliament approved amendments to the law on the country’s special status, effectively legalizing child marriage. About this informs The Guardian.
“Iraqi law currently sets 18 as the minimum age for marriage in most cases. The changes passed on Tuesday will allow clerics to rule under their vision of Islamic law, which some interpret as allowing girls to marry as young as nine years old. We are talking about the right of Jaafari, which is followed by many Shia religious authorities in Iraq,” the message reads.
Activists say the proposed amendments run counter to a 1959 Iraqi law that unified family law and enshrined guarantees for women. At the same time, supporters of these changes, mostly conservative Shiite lawmakers, argue that the amendments bring the legislation into line with Islamic principles. In their opinion, it will also contribute to the reduction of Western influence on Iraqi culture.
It will be recalled that in April last year, the Iraqi parliament passed a law on criminal liability for same-sex relationships with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.