(ZENIT News / Duhok, Iraqi Kurdistan 07.02.2024).- In a landmark ruling, an Iraqi court has decreed the conversion of a Christian mother, Elvin Joseph, and her three children to Islam, citing the country’s Personal Status Law. This law mandates that children adopt the religion of a parent who converts to Islam.
Elvin Joseph, a resident of Duhok in Iraqi Kurdistan, expressed her distress in an interview: «I am a Christian. I am married to a Christian man. My children are Christians. I was educated in our language. All my official documents identify me as Christian. Our marriage is registered by the Church.»
The legal turmoil began when Elvin’s mother converted to Islam following a divorce and subsequent remarriage to a Muslim man. Under the 1959 Personal Status Law, the conversion of a parent to Islam automatically necessitates the conversion of their children under the age of 18. This law aims to preserve religious identity but also affects marital rights, inheritance, and custody according to Islamic law (sharia).
Elvin’s husband, Sami Patros, recounted his experience with the National Identity Documents Office: «They said that because my mother-in-law converted to Islam, my wife must also convert, and consequently, our children’s religion should be changed from Christianity to Islam.»
This ruling has sparked significant concern among human rights advocates. Akram Mikhail, a lawyer specializing in defending Christian families in similar situations, criticized the law: «This is an imposition, forcing someone to convert to Islam. Islam itself, as I understand, does not allow forced conversion.»
The international community has also taken notice. The International Christian Concern, a U.S.-based watchdog organization, reported on the case, highlighting the broader implications for religious freedom in Iraq.
The issue was a focal point at a recent conference at the Catholic University of Erbil. Nechirvan Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Region, along with notable figures from the Middle Eastern Christian community, discussed the implications of the Personal Status Law. Speakers including Khaldun Saelayte from Jordan and Mohammed Nuqal from Lebanon, compared Iraq’s religious laws with those in neighboring countries like Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria, where Christians are governed by their own personal status laws.
The conference concluded with recommendations for Christian leaders to advocate for reforms to Iraq’s Personal Status Law, aiming to protect the religious and personal rights of Christian families facing similar legal challenges.
Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.
