Role Of Islam In Constitution For Kurdish Iraq Debated

IRIN reports today that discussions are under way on the drafting of a constitution for the northern, majority-Kurdish, region in Iraq. And as with the drafting of a national constitution for all of Iraq, the question of the role of Islamic law is becoming a contentious issue. Islamic parties in the Kurdish region want the constitution to provide that Islam will be a principal source of legislation, something that the current proposed draft does not do. The current draft, soon to be released by Parliament, merely provides: "This constitution safeguards the Islamic identity of the people of Kurdistan and respects other religions and guarantees their freedom." Some human rights advocates argue that including Islamic law in the constitution will limit women's rights, particularly in family law matters such as divorce and inheritance.