International Law Obligaes the US to Uphold the Rights of Iraqi Women: An Open Letter to the US Ambassador to Iraq

MADRE, an international women's human rights organization, emphatically supports the call of Iraqi women's organizations for the immediate repeal of Article 14 of Iraq's draft constitution. As you are aware, Article 14 seeks to replace Iraq's 1959 personal status laws, which are among the most progressive in the Middle East, with Sharia, or Islamic law. As such, Article 14 poses a grave threat to the rights of Iraqi women, to core principles of democratic governance, and to the primacy of international law. In light of this danger, we were heartened to hear your comments of July 25, indicating that the United States will work to guarantee the rights of Iraqi women.