Iraqi advocates want constitution to assure women's, religious rights

Published: 2004-02-13

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A coalition of Iraqi advocates said a new Iraqi constitution should guarantee rights for women and minority religions. Speakers at a Feb. 12 Capitol Hill press conference said they were dismayed by recent attempts by the U.S.-backed Iraqi governing council to erode rights previously guaranteed to women and minority groups. They said Resolution 137, approved by the governing council in late December, would abolish any legal rights for women and further marginalize minority religions. The resolution still needs to be approved by the Coalition Provisional Authority to become legally binding. Joseph T. Kassab of Detroit, president of the Chaldean National Congress, said a new constitution should give "proper respect and recognition to Islam" as Iraq's majority religion, but should offer strong guarantees of freedom of religion for all religious groups. He said an "extremist majority" could exploit the situation and impose Islamic law, or the Shariah, on the new constitution.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .