Qamar Al-Samarrai: Your Comments Make Me Laugh... and I Will Remain

Iraqi lawyer "Qamar Al-Samarrai" called on Iraqis today, Wednesday, to prevent the "marriage of minors" at the age of nine, according to the new amendment to the Personal Status Law that the parliament intends to vote on. Qamar Al-Samarrai has stirred controversy in recent days after appearing in a televised interview where she passionately defended women's rights and engaged in a heated debate against the imminent amendment of the Personal Status Law. She stated, "Any Iraqi who has 'honor' does not accept the marriage of underage girls at the age of 9," adding, "This is a violation of childhood." She also mentioned that "some use religion as a cover, but my words have hurt them," denying any referral to a disciplinary council. The young lawyer concluded, "Negative comments make me laugh, and I will continue to defend women." Following this, the Bar Association demanded that the Media and Communications Authority prevent lawyers from appearing in the media without the Association's approval. A document issued by the Bar Association requested the Media and Communications Authority to take legal action against television channels that hosted unauthorized lawyers.