Iraq’s top court suspends new legislation that activists say undermines women’s rights/node/2589052/middle-east
Iraq’s top court suspends new legislation that activists say undermines women’s rights
A picture shows a view of the Iraqi Parliament in the capital Baghdad, ahead of a confidence vote on a new government on October 27, 2022. (AFP file photo)
Iraq’s top court suspends new legislation that activists say undermines women’s rights
Women’s rights advocates argue that the changes undermine previous reforms that created a unified family law and established safeguards for women
Proponents of the amendments, which were advocated by primarily conservative Shiite lawmakers, defend them as a means to align the law with Islamic principles and reduce Western influence on Iraqi culture
Updated 05 February 2025
AP
BAGHDAD: Iraq’s top court suspended implementation Tuesday of three controversial bills passed last month by the country’s parliament, including a measure that activists said undermines women’s rights.
A number of members of parliament filed a complaint alleging that the voting process was illegal because all three bills — each supported by different blocs — were voted on last month together rather than each one being voted on separately. The Federal Supreme Court issued an order, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, to suspend their implementation until the case is adjudicated.
The measures include an amendment to the country’s personal status law to give Islamic courts increased authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce and inheritance.
Women’s rights advocates argue that the changes undermine previous reforms that created a unified family law and established safeguards for women. Proponents of the amendments, which were advocated by primarily conservative Shiite lawmakers, defend them as a means to align the law with Islamic principles and reduce Western influence on Iraqi culture.
Earlier versions of the measure were seen as potentially opening the door to child marriage since some interpretations of Islamic law allow the marriage of girls in their early teens — or as young as 9. The final version passed by the parliament states that both parties must be “adults,” without specifying the age of adulthood.
The second bill was for a general amnesty law seen as benefiting Sunni detainees. Some fear it could allow the release of people involved in public corruption and embezzlement as well as militants who committed war crimes.
The third bill aimed to return lands confiscated from the Kurds under the rule of Saddam Hussein. It is opposed by some Arab groups, saying it could lead to the displacement of Arab residents.
Syria forces accuse Hezbollah of attacks, sponsoring smuggling at border
Syrian forces clashed with smuggling gangs near the Lebanese border this week
Forces raided locations involved in the production and packaging of various drugs
Updated 6 sec ago
AFP
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group has launched attacks on Syrian security forces and is sponsoring cross-border smuggling gangs, the new Syrian authorities said on Monday, according to state media.
Syrian forces clashed with smuggling gangs this week, most of whom were affiliated with Hezbollah, but did not target Lebanese territory, Lt. Col. Moayed Al-Salama said in a statement carried by official news agency SANA.
Hezbollah was allied to former Syrian strongman Bashar Assad, who was toppled by opposition rebels in December.
The new authorities in Damascus launched anti-smuggling operations last week at the Lebanese-Syria border, where the Iranian-backed group holds sway.
“Most smuggling gangs on the Lebanese border are affiliated with the Hezbollah militia, whose presence now poses a threat at the Syrian border because it sponsors drug and weapon smugglers,” Salama was reported as saying.
“We have developed a comprehensive plan to fully control the borders,” said the official, whom SANA described as the commander for the western region in the Border Security Administration.
“We confirm that we did not target the Lebanese interior, despite shelling from the Hezbollah militia reaching our units,” Salama said.
On Saturday, the Lebanese army said it responded to incoming fire from across the Syrian border, two days after the new authorities in Damascus said they had launched operations against smugglers there.
The army did not name those responsible for firing toward Lebanon.
He blamed “the defunct regime” for turning “the Syrian-Lebanese border into corridors for the drug trade in cooperation with the Hezbollah militia, promoting the presence of armed smuggling gangs.”
Operations “were limited to Syrian border villages, targeting the armed smuggling gangs and remnants (of the Assad government) and militias who fought with them,” he added.
Syrian forces seized “farms, warehouses and factories for the production and packaging of hashish and captagon pills,” he said, referring to the potent synthetic drug which Syria mass-produced under Assad.
They also found presses specialized in printing counterfeit currency, he said, as well as as shipments of weapons and drugs that were about to cross in.
Syria shares a 330-kilometer (205-mile) border with Syria, with no official demarcation at several points, making it porous and prone to smuggling.
Assad’s fall in December disrupted Hezbollah’s arms supply lines through the land border with Syria.
Lebanon turns the page with new president and new government
Many are cautiously optimistic, but remain skeptical due to years of corruption, economic hardship, and weak governance
For years, Hezbollah dominated Lebanese politics, but has suffered major blows in its war with Israel and since the fall of Assad
Updated 3 min 19 sec ago
TAREK ALI AHMAD
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s new government has been met with cautious optimism by its people, who have endured years of political paralysis, economic crisis, and, most recently, a devastating conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
As Beirut’s streets hum with debate, citizens have expressed a mix of hope and skepticism about the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the chances he can drag Lebanon out of its myriad crises and achieve a modicum of stability.
“We are cautiously optimistic,” was the common refrain of Lebanese who spoke to Arab News. While many remain wary after decades of corruption and mismanagement, some see the appointment of Salam — a former International Court of Justice judge — and his new cabinet as a potential turning point.
The beginning of 2025 has ushered in a transformative moment for Lebanon, as the country emerges from months of Israeli bombardment. After nearly three years without a president, Lebanon now has a new head of state, along with a government tasked with steering the nation through one of its most challenging periods.
Yet, the shadow of past crises looms large. Lebanon remains deeply entangled in political and economic turmoil. The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value since 2019, plunging a significant portion of the population into poverty.
From Oct. 8, 2023, until the ceasefire on Nov. 26, 2024, Israeli strikes killed at least 3,960 people across Lebanon and injured more than 16,500. (AN photo by Tarek Ali Ahmad)
Hyperinflation, a banking sector collapse, and widespread unemployment have left millions struggling to afford basic necessities.
Decades of corruption and political deadlock have further exacerbated the crisis. The previous government’s failure to implement crucial economic reforms blocked access to international financial aid, leaving the country reliant on dwindling foreign reserves.
Compounding these issues, the recent war between Hezbollah and Israel inflicted additional devastation. From Oct. 8, 2023, until the ceasefire on Nov. 26, 2024, Israeli strikes killed at least 3,960 people across Lebanon and injured more than 16,500.
Much of the Shiite-majority south lies in ruins, adding to the hardship.
Hyperinflation, a banking sector collapse, and widespread unemployment have left millions in Lebanon struggling to afford basic necessities. (AFP)
Against this backdrop, Salam has outlined a vision of “rescue, reform, and rebuild.”
His priorities include stabilizing the economy, securing international aid, and tackling corruption. His proposed technocratic government aims to regain international trust and unlock much-needed funds from institutions like the International Monetary Fund.
Reconstruction is another urgent priority. Southern Lebanon, where infrastructure suffered extensive damage, requires swift rebuilding. Traditionally, Hezbollah has filled this role through its social programs, but its financial resources have been severely diminished by recent losses.
Infrastructure in southern Lebanon suffered extensive damage due to Israeli attacks. (AN photo by Tarek Ali Ahmad)
Salam has pledged to rebuild trust between citizens and the state, as well as between Lebanon and its Arab neighbors and the broader international community. However, his government’s ability to secure external support is uncertain.
The new US administration has signaled it will not back any Lebanese government that includes Hezbollah. Morgan Ortagus, the US deputy special envoy for Middle East peace, warned that allowing Hezbollah to hold significant power would isolate Lebanon and cut off crucial aid.
Similarly, Gulf states have made their assistance conditional on Lebanon forming a government committed to reform.
The US Embassy in Beirut has welcomed the new government, saying “the Lebanese people deserve a government that will rebuild Lebanese state institutions, fight corruption, and implement needed reforms.”
UN chief Antonio Guterres also welcomed the new government, affirming the international body’s commitment to that country’s “territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence,” a spokesman said Sunday.
“The UN looks forward to working in close partnership with the new government on its priorities, including the consolidation of the cessation of hostilities,” said a statement from spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Morgan Ortagus, the US deputy special envoy for Middle East peace, warned that allowing Hezbollah to hold significant power would isolate Lebanon and cut off crucial aid. (AFP)
Hezbollah and Amal both secured ministries in the new government. However, Hezbollah no longer has veto power or what is referred to as a “blocking third” in the government after its Christian allies, the Free Patriotic Movement, were excluded.
Nevertheless, its ally, the Amal Movement, retains influence. Yassine Jaber, a close associate of Amal leader and parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, has been appointed finance minister — one of the most powerful positions in the cabinet.
Despite Hezbollah’s weakened state, its presence remains visible. In Shiite-majority areas, yellow Hezbollah flags flutter alongside Amal banners, marking political territory.
“In Lebanon, territorial marking through flags is a well-established political reality,” Ralph Baydoun, director of InflueAnswers, a strategic communications firm in Beirut, told Arab News.
“The country is demographically divided along sectarian lines, and this division is visibly reinforced by political parties using flags and symbols to mark their areas of influence.”
While Hezbollah no longer has veto power, its ally, the Amal Movement, retains influence with Yassine Jaber, a close associate of Amal leader and parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, being appointed finance minister. (Supplied)
Rebuilding will be particularly challenging in southern Lebanon, which bore the brunt of Israeli strikes. In Nabatiyeh, one of the region’s largest cities, much of the center lies in ruins.
In one area visited by Arab News, a sign hanging over piles of rubble reads: “Because of the destruction, Wehbe Clothes has moved to the main street.” The state of the original store suggests it was obliterated beyond recognition.
Despite the devastation, some businesses have reopened.
“What can we do? We need to get back to work in order to live,” said Ali, a shopkeeper in Nabatiyeh who only gave his first name, fearing reprisals from Hezbollah.
“Those who could fix their stores and clean the damage have done so, but as you can see, there’s no one helping us. Not the government, not Hezbollah, no one.”
A sign hanging over piles of rubble in Nabatiyeh reads: “Because of the destruction, Wehbe Clothes has moved to the main street.” The state of the original store suggests it was obliterated beyond recognition. (AN photo by Tarek Ali Ahmad)
Lebanon’s political stalemate had left the country without a president for over two years until the election of Joseph Aoun on Jan. 9.
That Salam was able to form a government in under a month is a notable achievement in a nation where such processes often drag on for months.
He named his 24 ministers on Feb. 8 after consulting with leaders in a country where power has long been shared according to sectarian quotas. The new government will now prepare for parliamentary elections scheduled for next year.
“I hope this will be a government of reform and salvation,” Salam said in a televised statement moments after his cabinet was announced.
His government will strive to “restore trust between citizens and the state, between Lebanon and its Arab surrounding, and between Lebanon and the international community,” he said.
Salam named his 24 ministers on Feb. 8 after consulting with leaders in a country where power has long been shared according to sectarian quotas. The new government will now prepare for parliamentary elections scheduled for next year. (AFP)
Salam’s cabinet includes five women, among them Tamara Elzein, secretary-general of Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research, and Haneen Sayed, a World Bank specialist. Other key appointments include Ghassan Salame, a former UN envoy to Libya.
Before the new government can exercise its powers, however, it needs to draft a ministerial statement that must be submitted to a confidence vote in parliament within 30 days.
For years, Hezbollah dominated Lebanese politics, but suffered major blows in the war with Israel, including the loss of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in a September airstrike on Beirut.
The conflict erupted on Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched cross-border attacks in support of Hamas, which was battling Israel in Gaza. Israel responded with heavy air and artillery strikes, escalating into a full-scale conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border.
The war also drew in regional actors, with Iran supplying Hezbollah and the US supporting Israel. Diplomatic efforts by the UN, France, and Arab states sought de-escalation, while Hezbollah’s military losses, including key commanders, weakened its strategic position.
A ceasefire was finally brokered on Nov. 26, as Hezbollah, under pressure from Lebanon’s economic crisis and international mediators, agreed to halt attacks in exchange for Israeli de-escalation.
The conflict left Hezbollah militarily weakened, Israel more secure on its northern front, and Lebanon struggling with reconstruction. It also reshaped regional power dynamics, with Hezbollah’s influence reduced.
Another shock came with the Dec. 8 ousting of Bashar Assad in the Syrian Arab Republic, which had long served as Hezbollah’s weapons conduit from Iran.
The weakening of Hezbollah allowed former army chief Aoun, seen as Washington’s preferred candidate, to be elected president, paving the way for Salam’s appointment as prime minister.
For many Lebanese, the future remains uncertain. Their cautious optimism reflects a deep yearning for stability but also an awareness of the obstacles ahead. (AFP)
As Lebanon watches anxiously, its new government faces an uphill battle — implementing long-overdue reforms, overseeing the fragile ceasefire with Israel, and rebuilding a shattered nation.
For many Lebanese, the future remains uncertain. Their cautious optimism reflects a deep yearning for stability but also an awareness of the obstacles ahead.
Whether this government can deliver on its promises remains to be seen, but the stakes for Lebanon’s future could not be higher.
Arab states reject Trump plan for Gaza, Egypt FM tells Rubio
Egypt’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the international community should unify behind Palestinians to right “historic injustice”
Updated 1 min 3 sec ago
Reuters
WASHINGTON: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday that Arab states support Palestinians in rejecting US President Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians in Gaza and take control of the enclave.
In a statement, Egypt’s foreign ministry said Abdelatty, in a meeting in Washington, stressed the importance of expediting Gaza’s reconstruction while Palestinians remain there.
Abdelatty, who arrived in Washington on Sunday, said he was looking forward to working with the new US administration to achieve “comprehensive and just peace and stability” in the region, according to the statement.
Any suggestion that Palestinians leave Gaza, which they want as part of an independent state, has been anathema to the Palestinian leadership for generations and neighboring Arab states have rejected it since the Gaza war began in 2023.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the international community should unify behind Palestinians to right “historic injustice” and restore their “legitimate and inalienable rights.”
Trump’s plan has received global condemnation, with regional and global leaders saying such a move would threaten regional stability.
He said in excerpts from a Fox News interview on Monday that Palestinians would not have the right of return to Gaza under his proposal.
Syrians back to famed Palmyra ruins scarred by Daesh
Palmyra attracted more than 150,000 tourists a year before civil war broke out in 2011
The ancient city was home to some of the best-preserved classical monuments in the Middle East before the destructive 13-year war
Updated 45 min 29 sec ago
AFP
PALMYRA: Syrians are once again picnicking and smoking shisha amid the ruins of ancient Palmyra, once desecrated by Daesh militants but still awe-inspiring, and open to the public following the overthrow of president Bashar Assad.
The city’s renowned ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were twice overrun by the Daesh group, which proceeded to destroy many of the most famed structures.
Although they were driven out, the Syrian government and its allies, including Russia and Iran, then set up military bases nearby, effectively barring public access.
Open to the public once more, Yasser Al-Mahmoud, 54, was among dozens of formerly displaced Syrians rediscovering the beloved landmarks that still bear scars of war.
“We used to come here every Friday, before” the war, Mahmoud said, pouring hot tea into glass cups placed atop a massive column’s stone base.
“Now we’re back and we can reconnect with our memories,” he said, standing near his wife and children.
“People are so happy,” he said.
Spread out across the ruins, families were carrying bags of food and making tea, while young people smoked shisha.
“We really missed the ruins. We haven’t been here since 2015,” when Daesh group first invaded the area before being forced out for good in 2017.
Mahmoud said he wanted to reopen his stall selling trinkets and jewelry once visitors returned to Palmyra — which attracted more than 150,000 tourists a year before civil war broke out in 2011.
Nearby, two huge columns forming a squared arch stood amid a sea of rubble — all that remained of the Temple of Bel after Daesh militants detonated explosives inside it. Pearl of the Desert
Known to Syrians as the “Pearl of the Desert,” Palmyra was home to some of the best-preserved classical monuments in the Middle East before Syria’s 13-year war.
But Daesh launched a campaign of destruction after capturing Palmyra, using its ancient theater as a venue for public executions and murdering its 82-year-old former antiquities chief.
The militants blew up the shrine of Baal Shamin, destroyed the Temple of Bel, dynamited the Arch of Triumph, looted the museum and defaced statues and sarcophagi.
While Daesh is gone, danger still looms over Palmyra.
The director general of antiquities and museums in Syria, Nazir Awad, told AFP he was concerned about illegal excavation.
There are guards, he said, “but I don’t think they can do their work to the fullest extent, because of random and barbaric excavations across very wide areas.”
People looking for ancient artefacts to loot are using heavy machinery and metal detectors that are “destructive,” adding that the digging was “destroying layers of archaeological sites, leaving nothing behind.” A military zone
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said Assad’s allies established “military sites and positions” in Palmyra and its archaeological sites, even taking up residence in its hotels.
In a sign of their presence, Israeli air strikes in November on the modern city killed 106 Tehran-backed fighters, according to the British-based monitor with a network of sources in Syria.
Former rebel fighter Khaldun Al-Rubaa, 32, said Palmyra had been turned “from an archaeological site into a military zone” that was off-limits to visitors.
He worked at Palmyra’s ancient sites from childhood, giving tourists camel rides and, like many Palmyra residents, tourism was his main source of income, he said.
Now that Assad-allied armed groups and foreign armies have left, Rubaa has returned home, hoping to trade his arms for a camel.
He held a picture on his phone of him as a young boy riding his camel, killed in the fighting, with the Arch of Triumph in the background.
“Palmyra and the ruins have been through horrors. The site has seen IS, Iran, the Russians, all of the militias you could think of,” he said.
Yet he is among the lucky ones able to settle back home.
After 12 years of displacement Khaled Al-Sheleel, 57, said he has yet to return to his house, destroyed in an Israeli strike.
He now works as a taxi driver, mostly carrying residents wishing to visit or return home.
“We have no homes, we cannot return,” he said.
But “despite the destruction, I was overjoyed, I knelt on the ground and cried tears of joy when I returned” for the first time.
Cautious calm on border with Syria after Lebanese army deploys
Lebanese forces strengthen presence at illegal crossings and issue orders for action to maintain security
Lebanese Foreign Ministry condemns Netanyahu’s statements, rejects any resettlement of Palestinians
Updated 10 February 2025
NAJIA HOUSSARI
BEIRUT: The Lebanese army continued to deploy units in Rab Al-Thalathine, Tallouseh, and Bani Hayyan on Monday after the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
The deadline for their complete pullout, extended until Feb. 16, is approaching under the ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.
The Lebanese army carried out armored patrols on the road and cleared mounds of earth and rubble. It also began searching for bombs and unexploded ordnance in houses and along roads.
Municipalities in the three areas urged citizens to follow the army’s instructions and avoid returning until their towns had been fully secured and cleared of explosives.
Despite the Israeli troop withdrawal, localities such as Maroun Al-Ras, Yaroun, Blida, Houla, Mhaibib, Mays Al-Jabal, Kfarkila, Markaba, Abbasieh, and the outskirts of other towns remain under Israeli occupation.
Also on Monday, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for “establishing a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia.”
The ministry reiterated support for Saudi Arabia in confronting everything that threatens its security, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
It affirmed Lebanon’s rejection of any displacement of Palestinian people from their land.
The ministry called for “a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause based on the two-state solution, international legitimacy resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative issued by Beirut’s Arab Summit in 2002, which enhances peace and stability in the region.”
The ministry statement came as Israeli forces continued to demolish and bulldoze houses and facilities in border villages, alleging connections to Hezbollah.
Israeli warplanes again flouted the ceasefire agreement, striking deep inside Lebanese territory on Sunday night.
The raids targeted the Rihan Heights between Sejoud and Rihan, north of the Litani River.
Israeli aircraft raided the area between Aazze and Bfaroueh in four phases.
A cautious calm has descended on the northeastern border since the deployment of the Lebanese army in the area. Last week, the region experienced violent clashes between members of the new Syrian military administration and armed members of Lebanese tribes.
The unrest occurred in an area where smuggling operations have increased due to the overlapping territories of the two countries.
According to the National News Agency, Lebanese tribal gunmen withdrew after the Lebanese army deployed, retreating behind the line established by the army.
President Joseph Aoun’s media office reported that he contacted Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa recently. They agreed to coordinate efforts to control the situation on the Lebanon-Syria border and prevent the targeting of civilians.
The media office of the Syrian government in Homs province announced last Thursday that the Border Security Administration had launched an extensive campaign in the village of Hawik — a Lebanese village that overlaps with Syrian territory — to close smuggling routes for weapons and contraband.
Lebanese from the Zaiter and Jaafar tribes inhabit the town.
These clashes resulted in fatalities, injuries, and mutual kidnappings.
The Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense took 21 injured people to hospitals in Hermel two days ago, including civilians, after shelling and clashes.
The Lebanese army has sent reinforcements to the Qaa and Qaa Projects areas along the Syrian border in eastern Lebanon.
The army’s move follows heavy shelling from armed people on the Syrian side, particularly targeting the Jusiyah area.
The situation escalated after armed forces from Syria in the countryside of Al-Qusayr, opened fire on farms on the Qaa plain and the outskirts of Hermel using medium and heavy machine guns.
Israeli warplanes also entered the conflict, on Sunday night striking an illegal crossing between Lebanon and Syria.
The Lebanese Army Command announced that military units have been ordered to respond to sources of fire coming from Syrian territory that target Lebanese land, following a series of shelling incidents in areas near the eastern border.
The command clarified that its units were implementing exceptional security measures along these borders, which included the establishment of monitoring points, the deployment of patrols, and the erection of temporary barriers.
The army also said that it was closely monitoring the situation and taking appropriate action in response to developments.
In the context of security measures implemented by military institutions in various regions, army units — with patrols from the Directorate of Intelligence — raided the homes of wanted individuals in Al-Qasr in Hermel and Al-Asfouriyeh in Akkar.
A significant quantity of rocket shells, hand grenades, military weapons and ammunition was seized during these operations.
A state of cautious calm has prevailed along the northern Lebanon-Syria border since Sunday evening, with no reports of gunfire or shelling.
The Lebanese army strengthened its presence at illegal crossings and has issued orders for an immediate response to any sources of gunfire directed toward Lebanese territory.
In a statement, the Lebanese Al-Jaafar clan emphasized “the fraternal relations between the Lebanese and Syrian peoples,” announcing “the withdrawal of its armed members.”
However, it pointed out that displacement had affected residents and urged “the Lebanese state and military to address the situation.”
