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Iraq

Iraq's draft constitution bows to Islam

In a departure from a U.S. model, the document states no law will be approved that contradicts "the rules of Islam."

BAGHDAD - Framers of Iraq's constitution will designate Islam as the main source of legislation - a departure from the model set down by U.S. authorities during the occupation - according to a draft published Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a roadside bombing killed four American soldiers in southwestern Baghdad, the U.S. command said Tuesday, and 16 Iraqi government workers died in a hail of gunfire as they left work on the western edge of the capital.

The draft of the constitution states no law will be approved that contradicts "the rules of Islam" - a requirement that could set Iraq on a course far different from the one envisioned when U.S.-led forces invaded in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein.

"Islam is the official religion of the state and is the main source of legislation," reads the draft published in the government newspaper Al-Sabah. "No law that contradicts with its rules can be promulgated."

The document also grants the Shiite religious leadership in Najaf a "guiding role" in recognition of its "high national and religious symbolism."

Al-Sabah noted, however, that there were unspecified differences among the committee on the Najaf portion. Those would presumably include Kurds, Sunni Arabs and secular Shiites on the 71-member committee.

During the U.S.-run occupation, which ended June 28, 2004, key Shiite and some Sunni politicians sought to have Islam designated the main source of legislation in the interim constitution, which took effect in March 2004.

However, the U.S. governor of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, blocked the move, allowing only that Islam would be considered "a source" - but not the only one. At the time, prominent Shiite politicians agreed to wait and pursue the issue during the drafting of the permanent constitution.

Some women's groups fear strict interpretation of Islamic principles could erode their rights in such areas as divorce and inheritance. It also could move Iraq toward a more religiously based society than was envisioned by the United States.

Members of the constitutional committee said the draft was among several and none would be final until Parliament approves the charter by Aug. 15.

Sunni Arabs involved in writing the charter have said Shiites and Kurds are trying to steamroll their version of the draft without proper consultation and discussion.

The Sunnis agreed only Monday to resume work on the committee after they walked out to protest the assassination of two colleagues this month.

"It's very important that the constitution is produced through the participation of all Iraqis," U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters Tuesday. "This is important for ending and defeating the insurgency, for having a political compact, and I want to say to the Arab Sunni community that they can count on us for such a compact."

Sunni Arab support is crucial because the charter can be scuttled if voters in three of Iraq's 18 provinces reject it by a two-thirds majority - and Sunni Arabs are a majority in four provinces.

Regarding the soldiers' deaths, a statement by the U.S. command said the soldiers from Task Force Baghdad died Sunday night when their vehicle ran over a roadside bomb in the southwest of the city.

The 16 Iraqi government employees were killed Tuesday evening when gunmen fired at a pair of buses taking them from an Industry Ministry facility to their homes in Shiite neighborhoods.

[Last modified July 27, 2005, 01:06:11]