Bahraini women demand unified civil status law
Bahrain, Politics, 1/6/2003

Scores of Bahraini women yesterday organized a silent sit in, in the courtyard of the ministry of justice in Manama demanding a unified civil status law.

The sit in lasted for one hour and was attended by 70 women who raised banners saying "we demand a unified civil status law" and "No to mediation at the Sharia court."

A member of the women "Banner" committee, Ghada Jamshir, said that the committee organized the sit in to confirm its determination to continue requesting its demand to "enacting a unified civil status law, reforming the Sharia judiciary, appointing qualified Sharia judges who are academically qualified." She explained that the women's Banner will propose to the parliament a draft civil status law prepared in collaborations of lawyers.

She indicated that the committee issued a statement "renewing our demands: like increasing due spending for the divorcees, the right of the woman to divorce, her right to housing and raising marriage age to 22 for both women and men and issuing a unified civil status law."

The sit in coincided with the convening of the second session in a lawsuit filed by the women "Banner" committee against one of the Sharia court judges Sheikh Mutlaq al-Zawadi, calling for fining him one Bahraini dinar ( USD 2.5 ) after he had accused women of "unbelieving in God" because they asked for a unified civil status law for the Sunni and Shiite community. The court postponed considering the case until February 9th.

Previous Stories:
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