BAGHDAD — Islamist parties in the Iraqi parliament are pushing an amendment to the personal status law that would allow men to marry girls as young as 9. Human rights activists decried the proposal, which would transfer civil matters to the jurisdiction of clerics.

National Iraqi Alliance parliament member Hamed al-Khodari submitted the amendment bill Nov. 2. A more extreme version of the proposal was withdrawn in 2014 because of public pressure, and public anger is even more intense this time. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) voiced its concerns and encouraged "widening the scope of consultations about the amendment … to ensure the respect and protection of women's rights."

During a Nov. 9 briefing, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert condemned the proposal.

"We are completely against and oppose the idea of children marrying adults," she said. "And let's remember, it was not that long ago that we called out the depravity of [the Islamic State] for taking child prisoners, child brides, and the sort. Some of this will be an internal Iraqi matter, but we remain firmly opposed to the idea that any adult would attempt to marry a child in that fashion."