Iraqi Parliament Girlfight!

Apparently women MP's in Iraq's National assembly are having, ehh, some disagreements, when it comes to their definitions of "Women rights". The main area of disagreement? Sharia law: One morning last week, three dozen women in Western-style business suits crowded into the office of the man who would soon be Iraq's prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Most were members of the newly elected National Assembly, and they had a list of demands. They wanted women to run at least 10 of Iraq's 30-odd government ministries. They wanted the number of places reserved for women on party slates raised to 40 percent in future elections. Most of all, they wanted a promise of respect for women's rights. Sounds good right? Well, wait till the other group shows up: Hours later, another group of women who are assembly members arrived in Dr. Jaafari's office. They wore black abayas, the garments that cover a woman's body from head to foot, and they had another agenda. They wanted to put aspects of Islamic law into Iraq's legal code - including provisions that would allow men as many as four wives and reduce the amount of money allotted to women in inheritances. Yes, ladies and gentlemen. This other group of women are actually advocating less rights for women. Interesting, no? On one side are those in the dominant Shiite alliance that was formed under the auspices of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric. Many see their election as an opportunity to bring Iraq's laws into harmony with Shariah, Islam's version of divine law, drawn from the Koran and other religious sources. This is no accident. The Shiite leadership, in fact, is shrewdly relying on these women to carry much of the fight in the new assembly over where Islam itself, not just its women, should fit in Iraqi society. Ohh, female agents to advance the agenda of the male religious Shiite leadership. Women acting on behalf of men to opress women. Isn't that nice? I have now officially seen everything. But wait, i hear what some of you will say, one of the women actually said it in the article. Where is it, where is it, ahh, here: "We have different traditions," Ms. Musawi said. "What is acceptable to you is not acceptable to us." "And what is not acceptable to you, is more then acceptable to us. We like getting less money; we like for our men to have more wives; and we also do not mind a little honor killing!" Ohh, you think i took it too far? I wish: Some Iraqi women say blocking the traditionalists' proposals is not enough. Iraq's laws now provide cover for men who commit so-called honor killings - murdering wives or female relatives who are suspected of infidelity. One law specifically states that physical abuse is not grounds for divorce. Another makes it very difficult for a woman to keep her children if she remarries after a divorce. That's what i call female empowerment! You know, if there was just a way to convince the Sharia people that maybe the Sharia should not be applied as basis for civil law, we wouldn't have this problem. If only someone would come up with a soloution. You know, someone who is smart, sexy and usually right about those things! Hmmm..........