Iraqi woman wins final ruling to restore Christian identity in government records

The issue of Iraqi children being legally registered as Muslim when one of their parents converts to Islam has returned to public attention after an Iraqi woman won a final court ruling allowing her official religious identity to be restored to Christian in government records.

The case was announced by ADF International , an organization that advocates for religious freedom.

According to the organization, Iraq’s Court of Cassation issued a final ruling allowing the woman’s religious classification in the government database to be changed back to “Christian,” reflecting the faith she practices after experiencing the consequences of the law.

Several Iraqi laws concerning religious identity have raised questions in light of Article 2 of the Iraqi constitution, which guarantees religious rights and freedom of belief and religious practice for all individuals, including Christians, Yazidis, and Mandaeans.

Earlier laws, including the Population Registration Laws No. 59 of 1955 and No. 54 of 1927, allowed individuals to change their religion. Later legislation took a different approach. The Civil Status Laws No. 189 of 1964 and No. 65 of 1972 allowed only non-Muslims to change…