Iraq’s parliament has passed a controversial law allowing child marriage for girls as young as nine, sparking outrage among activists and lawmakers who warn it will “legalize child rape.”

The Guardian reported that the legislation grants religious authorities control over family matters, including marriage and divorce, reversing a ban on underage marriage in place since the 1950s.

“We have reached the end of women’s rights and the end of children’s rights in Iraq,” said lawyer Mohammed Juma, a prominent critic. Journalist Saja Hashim expressed fear over clerics’ influence, calling it “terrifying.”

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Activists Fear the Law Could Be Retroactive

Activists warn the law could be applied retroactively, undermining alimony and custody rights. Raya Faiq of Coalition 188 shared a case of a woman threatened by her husband to relinquish financial support or lose custody of her daughter.

A 2023 UN survey found 28% of Iraqi girls marry before 18, often to escape poverty, though such unions often fail, leaving girls with lifelong consequences, including social stigma and incomplete education.

The law allows religious sects to determine marriage age, setting it at nine for Shia Muslims and 15 for Sunnis. Independent MP Sajjad Salem condemned the decision as a “decline and profanity,” while MP Alia Nassif vowed to challenge the law in federal court.

Women’s rights advocate Benin Elias said, “I am not shocked. But this is not the time for tears nor surrender to barbaric decisions.”

Read more at The Guardian.