Iraq Constitution May Erode Women's Rights

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A chapter of Iraq's draft constitution obtained by The Associated Press gives Islam a major role in Iraqi civil law, raising concerns that women could lose rights in marriage, divorce and inheritance.

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Most worrying for women's groups has been the section on civil rights in the draft constitution, which some feel would significantly roll back women's rights under a 1959 civil law enacted by a secular regime.

In the copy obtained by AP on Monday, Article 19 of the second chapter says "the followers of any religion or sect are free to choose their civil status according to their religious or sectarian beliefs."

Shiite Muslim leaders have pushed for a stronger role for Islam in civil law but women's groups argue that could base legal interpretations on stricter religious lines that are less favorable toward women.

Committee members said Monday they had taken account of women's concerns, but said they were not planning to make changes since the National Assembly will have final say on the wording.


more:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050726/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

before US women will be fighting for the same rights soon right here in the great old USA. Iraq's new government is run by the asswipe in charge here. Women will be slowly loosing the same rights in no time at all.

http://www.uuiraq.org/english/199.htm An era of post-occupation atrocities unfolded to disclose the final chapter of human rights abuse in Iraq: A constitution of legalizing women’s discrimination.

The constitution draft which was circulated secretly eliminated the minimal rights women had under the previous 1959 “Personal Status Law”. Although this law was partly based on Islamic Shariaa, it included much reform that secured minimal standards of human rights for women, such as preventing marriage for female children and making polygamy more difficult for men – a practice that is allowed under Shariaa in addition to beatings, stoning, flogging and forced veiling.

The draft constitution indicates in its article 14 the elimination of the current law and refers family laws completely to Islamic Shariaa and to other religions in Iraq. In other words, it leaves women vulnerable to all inequalities and social hostility in addition to designating females as second rate citizens or semi-humans.

Since the beginning of the occupation, the US administration has recognized Iraqis according to their ethnic/nationalist and religious identities. This predetermined polarization of the society around its most reactionary forces has resulted with a most lethal weapon which is a government of division and inequality - a potential timed bomb for a civil war that has already started. Furthermore, the only mutual agenda for the parties in power is one of oppression, bigotry and misogyny in addition to representing the US occupation interests.

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something about freedom.. democracy..

OH, wait! it was the weapons of mass destruction.

er. oops.

thousands of iraqi and american deaths and billions in U.S. taxpayer debt later, the new boss is the same as the old boss.

what a friggin' waste of time..

and their rights are concerned.

Fundamentalist Muslims and Fundamentalist Christians regarding their views on women.

make fundie Christians look enlightened in comparison IMHO. This will be a complete tragedy for the women of Iraq

A part of Iraq's draft constitution obtained by The Associated Press gives Islam a major role in Iraqi civil law, raising concerns that women could lose rights in marriage, divorce and inheritance.

The proposal also appears to rule out non-governmental militias, an area addressed Monday by U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad. Urging Iraqis to build national institutions, he said there is no place for factional forces that "build the infrastructure for a future civil war."

The civil law section, one of six to make up Iraq's new charter, covers the rights and duties of citizens and public and private freedoms. The language is not final, but members of the drafting committee said there was agreement on most of its wording.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=978484&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

This guy looks like a totally confused idiot. Or he's thinking about getting back to the Green Zone and stuffing Bremer's chef's food in his face.

Another Islamic state in the Middle East. Good job shrub!

Iraqis will be enjoying the same freedoms as our allies, the Saudis.

we liberated them, remember?

not unexpected

They certainly don't care anymore about the Taliban.

He never thought about the ramifications those two things would have.