Iraq’s parliament passed amendments to the country’s personal status law that would in effect legalize child marriage.

Axar.az reports this information citing AP.

The amendments give Islamic courts increased authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce and inheritance.

Iraqi law currently sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage in most cases. The changes passed Tuesday would let clerics rule according to their interpretation of Islamic law, which some interpret to allow marriage of girls in their early teens — or as young as 9.

Proponents of the changes defend them as a means to align the law with Islamic principles and reduce Western influence on Iraqi culture.