A public-opinion poll which surveyed more than 61,000 Iraqis across the country has shown a significant opposition to the controversial proposed amendments to the country’s Personal Status Law, which allows reliance on religious interpretations instead of current laws.
The changes supported by Islamist parties inside the Parliament would allow girls as young as nine to be married and strip women of many of their divorce and inheritance rights.
The results of the poll, announced on Sunday, was conducted by Iraq Polling Team NGO and ran from August 13 to August 15. It indicated that 73.2 per cent of Iraqis expressed “strong opposition” to the amendments to the Personal Status Law that has been in place since 1959.
In contrast, only 23.8 per cent of those surveyed expressed strong support for the changes, while 3.1 per cent remained indifferent to the matter.
On August 4, the parliament completed the first reading of the bill and will have two more readings and a debate before deciding whether to vote it into law.
The proposed amendments have led to widespread demonstrations and debate in Iraq between pro-civil rights Iraqis and the religious institutions which have gained more power over the past two decades.
A key highlight of the survey is the strong preference for a civil approach to personal status legislation.
An overwhelming 81.6 per cent of respondents expressed their desire for the law to remain civil in nature, rejecting any shift towards a religious, sectarian framework, which was supported by only 18.4 per cent of respondents.
The age group most represented in the poll was those between 46 and 60 years old, making up 29.2 per cent of participants. The youngest voters, aged 18 to 25, accounted for just 8.3 per cent of the total. 72.8 per cent of the total surveyed were married, while 12.7 per cent were single.
The poll highlighted a well-educated respondent base, with 47.6 per cent holding a bachelor's degree, 12.2 per cent holding a master's degree, and 10.5 per cent having earned a doctoral degree.
The findings suggest that any move to alter the law would face substantial public resistance which has been on the rise since the start of the month, posing a formidable challenge to any efforts to alter the law.
There were efforts by Islamist parties to introduce similar amendments in 2014 and 2017, but both of which failed to pass.
'Disastrous effects'
On Friday, the Human Rights Watch voiced concerns over the move, and warned that it will have “disastrous effects on women’s and girls’ rights”.
“The Iraqi parliament’s passage of this bill would be a devastating step backward for Iraqi women and girls and the rights they have fought hard to enshrine in law,” Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch, said.
“Formally legalising child marriage would rob countless girls of their futures and well-being. Girls belong in school and on the playground, not in a wedding dress.”
The amendments allow the couples to choose whether the provisions of the Personal Status Law or the provisions of specific Islamic schools of jurisprudence would apply. If couples are from different sects, the school followed by the husband’s sect would apply.
This arrangement would effectively establish separate legal regimes with different rights accorded to different sects “further enshrining sectarianism in Iraq and undermining the right to legal equality for all Iraqis”, the New York-based organisation said.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How they line up for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
3 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4 Max Verstappen, Red Bull
5 Kevin Magnussen, Haas
6 Romain Grosjean, Haas
7 Nico Hulkenberg, Renault
*8 Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
9 Carlos Sainz, Renault
10 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
11 Fernando Alonso, McLaren
12 Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren
13 Sergio Perez, Force India
14 Lance Stroll, Williams
15 Esteban Ocon, Force India
16 Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso
17 Marcus Ericsson, Sauber
18 Charles Leclerc, Sauber
19 Sergey Sirotkin, Williams
20 Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso
* Daniel Ricciardo qualified fifth but had a three-place grid penalty for speeding in red flag conditions during practice
Honeymoonish
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Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
ETFs explained
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
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Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5