Iraq's Catholic bishops seek change to draft constitution

Published: 2005-09-20

LONDON (CNS) -- Catholic bishops in Iraq are seeking last-minute changes to their country's draft constitution amid "grave concerns" that it would lead to discrimination against Christians. Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel-Karim Delly of Baghdad, Iraq, met Iraqi interim President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari Sept. 18 and asked them to remove Article 2.1 (a) from the document. The article states that "no law can be passed that contradicts the undisputed rules of Islam," and Christian leaders fear it will inevitably lead to the country being governed by Shariah, or Islamic law. Church leaders in Iraq are opposed to Shariah because it demands inequalities between Muslims and non-Muslims and between men and women. Christians say it will make them second-class citizens and spark an exodus of the faithful from a country where Christian communities have existed since the first century. The Iraqi bishops' conference made its concerns public in a statement Sept. 19, the day after the meeting.

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