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Shiites push ideas for iraq constitution { July 20 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/07/20/international/i052533D80.DTLhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/07/20/international/i052533D80.DTL
Shiites Push Ideas for Iraq Constitution
- By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
(07-20) 10:04 PDT BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) --
Shiite members of the committee drafting Iraq's new constitution are pushing for a greater role for Islam in civil law, members said Wednesday, a proposal that could erode women's rights in such matters as marriage, divorce and inheritance.
Meanwhile, the head of the subcommittee drafting the constitution said a draft will be submitted to the full 71-member committee within two days.
"It will be an initial draft," Humam Hammoudi said. "We can say that we will abide by the specific date that ends on Aug. 1 without a need to extend."
Although the constitution has to be completed by Aug. 15, the first two weeks of next month will be for the parliament to discuss the document, he said.
Mariam al-Rayyes, a female Shiite Muslim member of the drafting committee, said Islam will be a "main source" for legislation in the constitution and the state religion.
"It gives women all rights and freedoms as long as they don't contradict with our values," Al-Rayyes said. "Concerning marriage, inheritance and divorce, this is civil status laws. That should not contradict with religious values."
Her comments are simply a proposal, since the draft constitution has not been approved. Efforts to roll back women's rights during the U.S. occupation were shelved under pressure from women's groups and others.
However, proponents of a greater role for Islamic law are pushing for language that could disadvantage women.
Under Islamic law, for example, a woman gets half of what a man would get when it comes to inheritances. Men also have the power when it comes to initiating divorces.
Iraq has been operating under a secular 1959 civil status law that treated every person according to the sect to which he or she belongs. This law will still be in effect after the new constitution is drafted.
"We reject the changes prepared on the 1959 law because some Islamic parties want to kidnap the rights of women in Iraq," said Yanar Mohammed, a women's rights activist and head of the Women's Freedom in Iraq Movement. "We reject such attempts because women should be full citizens with full rights, not semi-human beings."
She accused members of religious groups of trying to transform Iraqi women into "second-class citizens."
Al-Rayyes said committee members have decided that during the next two four-year parliamentary terms, women will make up at least 25 percent of the membership.
After two terms, women will be allowed to get as many seats as they win in elections, without a minimum percentage.
During the Jan. 30 assembly elections, the interim constitution required that one-third of parliament members be women.
The new constitution also will give Iraqi women married to foreign men the right to have Iraqi citizenship for their children — a right they had long fought for, al-Rayyes said.
There also has been an agreement on matters of women in parliament and civil law, but some members have reservations, al-Rayyes said.
Committee member and Judge Wael Abul-Latif said if a girl under the age of 15 wants to get married, she must have approval from her parents.
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