Mario Lopez Strongly Condemns Iraq's Move To Lower Age Of Consent For Girls To 9

Mario Lopez has reacted to Iraq possibly passing a controversial law that would lower the legal age of consent from 18 to nine, effectively permitting men to marry young girls.

This proposed amendment to Iraq's "personal status law" comes from conservative Shia groups in Iraq's parliament. Critics warn it could lead to a rollback of women's rights that mirrors the restrictive conditions imposed under Taliban rule.

Mario Lopez’s vocal condemnation echoes that of many international activists and public figures, who see the proposed law as a disturbing setback for women’s rights.

Activists argue that this law would not only allow for child marriages but also place nearly all family decisions under the control of religious authorities, a change that, they believe, would strip women of basic rights and protections.

Raya Faiq, an activist working with female representatives in the Iraqi parliament, has spearheaded efforts to challenge the proposed legislation. She, along with a group of 25 female Iraqi lawmakers, is fighting to halt the amendment before it goes to a second vote for ratification. However, this battle is an uphill one.

“This is a catastrophe for women,” Faiq told The Guardian. “My husband and my family oppose child marriage. But imagine if my daughter gets married and my daughter’s husband wants to marry off my granddaughter as a child. The new law would allow him to do so. I would not be allowed to object. This law legalizes child rape.”

After The New York Post shared the news on Instagram, actor Lopez was one of the first to comment, simply writing, "WTF?"

Others echoed Lopez's disapproval, as one social media user expressed, "I’m reading this right? Nine?! A 9-year-old should be playing with Barbie’s! Sick and twisted world."

"This is despicable," another said.

Human rights advocates warn that this law would expose young girls to heightened risks of sexual and physical abuse. They also point out that it could lead to more young girls being removed from school, depriving them of an education.

The Shia religious groups in Iraq’s parliament hold a strong majority, and their influence has grown significantly since the U.S. invasion in 2003, which removed the secular government of Saddam Hussein. Despite billions spent on rebuilding Iraq’s government institutions, religious conservatism now dominates its political landscape.

Alia Nassif, an Iraqi representative, has voiced frustration with many male colleagues who do not see the issues surrounding child marriage. She highlighted the obstacles faced by her and other female lawmakers as they seek to safeguard women’s rights against this law, which has previously been defeated twice thanks to significant backlash from Iraqi women.

“Unfortunately, male MPs who support this law speak in a masculine way, asking, ‘What’s wrong with marrying a minor?’ Their thinking is narrow-minded,” she said.

The Shia coalition has repeatedly argued that the purpose of the proposed law is to "protect" girls from what they see as "immoral relationships." However, opponents, including human rights groups, have criticized the bill as a clear attempt to curb women’s rights in Iraq, especially following recent protests led by young women against the country’s restrictive government.

Although Iraq banned child marriages in the 1950s, a 2023 United Nations survey revealed that about 28% of girls in Iraq were married before turning 18.

Since 2021, Iraq's political system has been largely controlled by the Coordination Framework, a coalition of factions aligned with Iran. This coalition has enacted several laws rooted in sharia principles, including one establishing religious holidays and another that criminalizes gay and transgender individuals in Iraq.

“Following the mass youth protests which took place in Iraq in 2019, these political players saw that the role of women had begun to strengthen in society,” said Nadia Mahmood, co-founder of the Iraq-based Aman Women’s Alliance. “They felt that feminist, gender and women’s organizations, plus civil society and activist movements, posed a threat to their power and status … [and] began to restrict and suppress them.”

Should this amendment be ratified, its consequences would extend far beyond marriage, removing fundamental rights for women regarding divorce, child custody, and inheritance.