Iraq to lower girls’ marriage age: Iraqi men may soon be allowed to marry 9-years-old girls

Baghdad: Iraqi parliament might soon amend the law regarding the marriageable age of girls in the country. The country might soon allow men to marry girls as young as 9. Reports stated that the move aligns with a strict interpretation of Islamic law and is intended to protect young girls from “immoral relationships”.

Currently, the minimum age of marriage for girl in Iraq is set at 18. The proposal was pushed by mainly from powerful Shiite Muslim political factions. Religious leaders also also reportedly supporting this decision as it gives them more power over family law matters.

The push for the changes comes mainly from powerful Shiite Muslim political factions backed by religious leaders. There has always been protest against what they describe as the West imposing its cultural norms on Muslim-majority Iraq. In April, the parliament passed a harsh anti-LGBTQ+ law.

The proposed amendments would allow Iraqis to turn to religious courts on issues of family law, including marriage, which currently are the sole domain of civil courts. That would let clerics rule according to their interpretation of Shariah, or Islamic law, as opposed to national laws. Some clerics interpret Shariah to allow marriage of girls in their early teens–or as young as 9 under the Jaafari school of Islamic law followed by many Shiite religious authorities in Iraq.