A law banning female genital mutilation in Iraqi Kurdistan, passed by the Kurdish parliament in June, will finally enter into force. For the first time in the region, women will be protected by a new law against some of the traditions most harmful towards them.
The law was published in 'Waqaehi Kurdistan', the official newsletter of the Kurdistan Regonal Government, last week. This step validitates the law, although the President of the KRG Mr. Massud Barzani hasn't signed it yet.
"The implementation of this law now needs a lot of support from within Kurdistan as well as from abroad, since various groups inside the Kurdish society are organising fierce opposition against it, particularly after Mullah Ismail Sussai denounced this law as un-Islamic in a sermon", Falah Moradkhin, Iraq project coordinator of Hivos partner WADI said.
"Shortly after the Union of Mullahs in Kurdistan as well as the Committee of the parliament dealing with religious questions rejected the law arguing their opinion was not asked before. But at least the law enters into force now. This is a big step forward. Now it needs to be implement properly."
