With news of the draft constitution circling the streets, women aren’t all that happy knowing that legislation will be based on sharia and certain rights won’t be given. So what do they do about it? Make their views known by exercising their right to assembly! This was the first civil rights protest held by women’s groups in the holy city of Najaf. It was reported by Radio Free Iraq, but this is the only account I could find of it on Google News (now that’s pathetic!).

Women representing 17 civil society groups took the streets of Najaf on Aug. 3.

“We want to make clear that we’re against any attempt to revive the notorious 137 personal affairs laws,” organizer Intisar Al-Mayali declared. “We want a civil law to govern issues like marriage and inheritance . . . and even the existing civil law that we support needs to be modified and improved in a way that matches the needs and rights of Iraqi women and we insist that Islam must not be the only source of legislation.”

Again, it cannot be overlooked that this protest was held in Najaf, a Shiite stronghold and holy city, where the religious leaders practically demand that sharia be the law of the land. Omar has even more about the righteous defiance of these women.

What’s even more interesting is that those women come from the strictly conservative city of Najaf where the SCIRI won the provincial elections and appointed one of their men as governor, yet those strong women had enough courage to publicly claim equality with men, condemn forcing Share’at laws into the constitution and also criticized Al-Hakim in spite of all the power and influence he has in Najaf.

We already know that there is a gun-toting babe of Baghdad, but now we have protest babes too! It’s too bad that the news wasn’t keeping up on this story, because there’s neither any pictures or anyone telling there story. Well, here’s to you ladies!