Iraqi lawmakers defer vote on Personal Status Law amidst heated debate

Shafaq News/ Iraqi lawmakers have deferred a vote on a controversial overhaul of the country's personal status law, amid intense debate and opposition from religious and social groups.

The decision comes as the parliamentary legal committee continues to refine the proposed amendments, a lawmaker said on Sunday.

The proposed changes to the 1959 law, which dictates matters such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance, have sparked widespread debate in Iraq. While the government argues that the reforms are necessary to modernize the law and protect women's rights, critics contend that they would undermine Islamic principles.

Raed al-Maliki, the lawmaker who introduced the proposed amendments, told Shafaq News Agency that the parliamentary legal committee is working to finalize the draft before it can be presented for a second reading. "There is no specific timeline for the second reading and voting on the Personal Status law," he said, adding that the committee aims to ensure the law is clear and unambiguous before proceeding.

The proposed reforms have faced stiff opposition from religious leaders and conservative groups, who argue that they would erode "traditional family values". Women's rights activists, on the other hand, have welcomed the proposed changes, saying they would help to address longstanding gender disparities in Iraqi society.

The Iraqi Parliament's Women, Family, and Childhood Committee has sought to reassure the public that the new law would not replace existing personal status laws, but would instead offer individuals the choice to apply the new law or continue to follow their religious sect's specific laws. However, this proposal has also faced significant opposition.

Iraq's parliament has approved a first reading of a draft law to amend the 1959 Personal Status Law, the legislature's media office said in q statement.

The proposed amendment, according to the statement, aims to align with Article 2 of the Iraqi constitution, which prohibits laws contradicting the fundamental principles of Islamic legislation, and Article 41, which guarantees individuals' freedom to adhere to their personal status matters according to their respective sects or to choose the amended 1959 Personal Status Law.

"The draft law is designed to maintain the unity of the judiciary in applying both legal and Islamic provisions related to personal status matters," the statement added.