The American Space at the American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB) organized a seminar on domestic violence, attended by students and members of faculty and staff, as well as guests, among whom was Iraqi Member of Parliament, Mr. Mahmoud Al-Qaisi. The seminar discussed a draft law on “family protection” submitted to the Iraqi parliament in 2010, and the responsibilities that fall upon various governmental bodies, community organizations, and different social actors in this regard.
The seminar was facilitated by the Consultant at AUIB’s Continuing Education Institute and former Minister of Justice, Judge Salar Abdul-Sattar Mohammad, who affirmed that all forms of domestic violence are “contrary to religious laws and man-made laws alike,” pointing out that safeguarding families, including protecting women, is a responsibility shared by society as a whole, including governmental bodies, such as the Ministries of Justice, Social Affairs, and Interior, as well as community organizations and various social groups. Judge Mohammad also identified, in the same context, factors that contribute “greatly and directly” to the incidences of domestic violence, such as the proliferation of drug abuse and small arms among the population.
Community organizations “fill a gap” in addressing domestic violence, where the role of these organizations complements that of governmental bodies and does not substitute it or render it irrelevant, said the main speaker at the seminar, Ms. Khanim Lateef, “feminist activist,” founder and director of the community organization ASUDA. Ms. Lateef saw that ratifying the draft law on “family protection” by the Iraqi parliament is “necessary,” calling for following the lead of neighboring countries that have adopted similar laws, such as Jordan, Kuwait, Iran, and Turkey, calling the latter’s “one of the most important laws” on the issue.