Lovely:

A working draft of Iraq's new constitution would cede a strong role to Islamic law and could sharply curb women's rights, particularly in personal matters like divorce and family inheritance....

One of the critical passages is ... a sweeping measure that would require court cases dealing with matters like marriage, divorce and inheritance to be judged according to the law practiced by the family's sect or religion.

Under that measure, Shiite women in Iraq, no matter what their age, generally could not marry without their families' permission. Under some interpretations of Shariah, men could attain a divorce simply by stating their intention three times in their wives' presence....

It's just a proposal so far, but it comes not long after Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Iraq's new prime minister, praised Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran and laid a wreath on his tomb. And after Iraq and Iran signed a military cooperation agreement under which Iran reportedly would train Iraqi troops. (The Iraqi defense minister later denied that Iranian training would take place.) And at a point when Khomeini's picture is seen everywhere (including government offices) in Basra, site of a brutal attack, possibly deadly, on a mixed-gender picnic a few months ago.

And in this report and this one, read about the use of acid, rape, and murder to intimidate unveiled and educated women in Iraq.

(Links via Juan Cole and Atrios.)