The Washington Times reports on yesterday's news conference at the National Press Club by representatives of minority religious groups in Iraq-- Chaldo/Assyrian Catholics, Iraqi Turkmen Muslims, and Mandaeans. They fear that the new Iraqi Constitution being drafted will not have meaningful protections for religious freedom. They are concerned that the Constitution will provide that Sharia will be the main source of Iraqi civil law, and that it will prohibit enactment of laws that are repugnant to Islam.
Also at the news conference was Nina Shea, a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). She indicated that a draft of the Constitution's religious freedom provisions may be available this week. In March, USCIRF published a report (press release) analyzing the constitutions of 44 predominantly Muslim countries. It examines their provisions on the role of Islam, freedom of religion, and equality for women. The full text of the report is available online in both English and Arabic.
