"This is criminal" - Martina Navratilova condemns reports of Iraq nearing controversial bill lowering marriage age to nine
Martina Navratilova has reacted to reports of Iraq introducing a controversial bill that would lower the marriage age for girls to nine. Amid concerns over women's rights, Navratilova labeled the proposed Iraqi law as "criminal."
Iraq’s parliament is progressing towards amending its marriage law, potentially lowering the age of consent to nine for girls, according to a report by The Telegraph.
The amendment risks reducing women’s rights in "divorce, child custody, and inheritance," according to the report. Opponents of the bill warn the change endangers young girls and poses a risk of increased child marriages.
Habib Khan, co-founder of Afghan Peace Watch, a non-profit organization "dedicated to independent reporting on peace and security in Afghanistan," shared an article with the news of the bill on X (formerly Twitter). Khan wrote:
"Iraq is set to lower the legal age of consent for girls to just 9, with plans to amend the 1959 personal status law. This move will not only legalize child marriages but also strip women of critical rights like divorce, custody, and inheritance."
American tennis icon Martina Navratilova, who frequently engages in political commentary on social media, reshared Khan's post and wrote:
"Omg… this is criminal to say the least- Iraq following in Taliban’s footsteps. These men are evil, truly evil"
"Fear and anger won" - Martina Navratilova reacts to Donald Trump being elected for a 2nd term as US President
Martina Navratilova supported Democratic candidate Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential election. The former World No. 1 has been critical of Donald Trump and his policies over the past few weeks on social media and after the Republican candidate was elected for his second term, Navratilova penned a message on X:
"Well, Trump won. Fear and anger won. And a country that was born as a racist patriarchy proved beyond any reasonable doubt it still is a racist patriarchy. Not sure when this ceases to be true..."
A fan replied to the former tennis star claiming in a blog that the 78-year-old was not voted in by "idiots and fascists." Instead, Thunder wrote, understanding Trump's voters via dialogue was important. However, Navratilova was unconvinced as she replied,
"What I am saying some voted for trump because of his racism and fascism and some, most, voted for him despite his racism and fascism. Strong men, how repulsive they might be personally, seem to be the in thing these days."
Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the USA while his running mate, JD Vance, will be sworn in as the 50th Vice President of the USA, in January 2025.