Narrative 3: Anti-gender narratives
Amplifications and Coordination
Publishing Lists of Women Candidates Framed as a “Threat”
Three days before the elections, religious figure Sayyed Rashid Al Husseini published a series of video
statements criticizing several members of parliament, including nine women candidates (Figure 8).53
Claims were that they were opposing proposed amendments to the Jaafari Personal Status Law.54 He
called on voters to withhold support from the named candidates, describing them as lacking
legitimacy, unfit for representation, and acting against sectarian interests.55 The videos circulated
widely across social media, with multiple pages reposting the content and publishing lists identifying
the targeted candidates. This amplification intensified hostility toward the named women and
contributed to heightened moral and social pressure on voters to reject them.
Figure 8: Videos by a religious figure calling on voters to reject parliamentary candidates opposing amendments to the
Jaafari Personal Status Law
53 رشيد،الحسين. (2025, November 8). Boycott statement [Facebook post]. Facebook.
ي
http://archive.today/PBpaj
54 Supreme Judicial Council, (2025, October 27), Jaafari Personal Status Law.
https://www.sjc.iq/qview.3633/
55 Ministry Of Justice, (2025, October 9), Jaafari Personal Status Law.
https://www.moj.gov.iq/view.9778/
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