The Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) have published a fascinating short article by Abduladhim Karim about a little discussed minority in Basra.
Discrimination is contrary to Article 14 of the Constitution which states:
Iraqis are equal before the law without discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, origin, color, religion, sect, belief or opinion, or economic or social status.
Equal opportunities are guaranteed by Article 16 which states:
Article 16:
Equal opportunities shall be guaranteed to all Iraqis, and the state shall ensure that the necessary measures to achieve this are taken.
It is however rather unclear what these ‘necessary measures’ might be. There is no legislation in Iraq specifically outlawing for example discrimination in the workplace or in the provision of services on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion or age.
The IWPR seeks to train fresh voices untainted by the old regime and to incubate new Iraqi-led institutions, including a major new Iraqi Media Institute, envisaged as a critical platform for Iraqi civil society. It covers a number of issues from all over Iraq but in particular the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.