The Shi'a cleric-backed United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), holds a majority in the new parliament, and asserts that sharia is "non-negotiable". Half of those who won seats reserved for women in the new National Assembly of Iraq are members of a coalition dominated by Shi'a religious parties, and they say they want Islamic sharia-based laws with legal differences in treatment for the sexes, and which permit a certain level of domestic violence. Says Nada al-Bayiati, of the Women ’ s Organisation for Freedom in Iraq, "It's weakening our position. How can you argue for women ’ s rights when the women are undermining you?" The Shi'a cleric-backed United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), holds the majority of seats in the National Assembly since the recent election , and asserts that sharia is "non-negotiable". "If you say to a man he cannot use force against a woman, you are asking the impossible," pediatrician turned politician, Jenan Al-Ubaedey of the UIA, told The Times. "If you don’t allow your husband to take another wife, he ’ d have an affair anyway ... I’ d rather know my husband has another wife that I know about." Forty Sunni groups via the Muslim Scholars Association , had called for boycotting to protest the U.S.-led occupation, while Shi'a on the other hand vigorously promoted voting in the election, influencing not only voter turnout, but also what candidates were on offer. And over 40\% of Iraq's population live in mostly-Sunni governates of Baghdad, Al Anbar, Ninawa and Salah ad Din ,  where entrenched violence was significant-enough to dissuade willing voters. Final official figures of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI), reveal that overall, 58\% of registered voters actually voted in the 2005 election — however many who were eligible did not register including three quarters of expatriots . One woman who abstained, Houzan Mahmoud, a UK based spokesperson for The Organization of Women ’ s Freedom in Iraq, did so not because of a clerical command or to protest the occupation. In a published statement she says that violence that has erupted against women since the invasion, and that policies do not differ significantly between candidates, when it comes to women's rights. But the move to sharia law actually came before the election. In January 2004, the Iraqi Women's League (IWL) expressed horror at the interim Shi'a dominated Iraqi Governing Council's Decision 137, which they explain replaced Iraqi civil law concerning family law, with sharia law.
The Shi'a cleric-backed (UIA), holds a majority in the new parliament, and asserts that sharia is "non-negotiable". Half of those who won seats reserved for women in the new of Iraq are members of a coalition dominated by Shi'a religious parties, and they say they want Islamic sharia-based laws with legal differences in treatment for the sexes, and which permit a certain level of domestic violence. Says Nada al-Bayiati, of the Women ' s Organisation for Freedom in Iraq, "It's weakening our position. How can you argue for women ' s rights when the women are undermining you?" The Shi'a cleric-backed (UIA), holds the majority of seats in the National Assembly since the , and asserts that sharia is "non-negotiable". "If you say to a man he cannot use force against a woman, you are asking the impossible," turned politician, Jenan Al-Ubaedey of the UIA, told The Times. "If you don’t allow your husband to take another wife, he ' d have an affair anyway ... I' d rather know my husband has another wife that I know about." Forty Sunni groups via the , had called for boycotting to protest the U.S.-led occupation, while Shi'a on the other hand vigorously promoted voting in the election, influencing not only voter turnout, but also what candidates were on offer. And over 40\% of Iraq's population live in mostly-Sunni of Baghdad, , and , where entrenched violence was significant-enough to dissuade willing voters. Final official figures of the (IECI), reveal that overall, in the 2005 election — however many who were eligible did not register including three quarters of ex-patriots . One woman who abstained, Houzan Mahmoud, a UK based spokesperson for The Organization of Women ' s Freedom in Iraq, did so not because of a clerical command or to protest the occupation. In a published statement she says that violence that has erupted against women since the invasion, and that policies do not differ significantly between candidates, when it comes to women's rights. But the move to sharia law actually came before the election. In January 2004, the (IWL) expressed horror at the interim Shi'a dominated Iraqi Governing Council's Decision 137, which they explain replaced Iraqi civil law concerning family law, with sharia law.
D
United Iraqi Alliance
D
National Assembly
R
’
'
R
’
'
D
United Iraqi Alliance
D
recent election
D
pediatrician
R
’
'
R
I’
I'
D
Muslim Scholars Association
D
governates
D
Al Anbar, Ninawa and Salah ad Din
A
and ,
D
Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq
D
58\% of registered voters actually voted
R
expatriots
ex-patriots
R
’
'
D
Iraqi Women's League