Iraqi Christian Woman Wins Landmark Legal Battle
An Iraqi Christian woman forcibly registered as Muslim can change religious affiliation in the official state database, Iraq’s highest appeals court ruled.
Maryam, whose name has been changed for security reasons, was born into a Christian family and had been registered as a Christian. But when her mother remarried a Muslim man, her religious affiliation was swapped to conform with her stepdad’s religion, in accordance with Article 26(2) of the Iraqi National Card Law No. 3 of 2016, which says “minor children shall follow the religion of the parent who has converted to Islam.”
When Maryam became a legal adult in January 2025, she filed a legal claim seeking to be officially recognized as a Christian. An Iraqi court ruled in favor of her case in May 2026, and the Iraqi Court of Cassation upheld that ruling.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, which is legally backing Maryam, says her case has “set a precedent for religious minorities across the region.”
ADF International reports that Maryam’s two younger sisters plan to take similar legal action to switch their religious affiliation to Christian once they are of the age of majority.
Kelsey Zorzi, director of advocacy for global religious freedom at ADF International, says “Everyone has the fundamental right to choose and live according to their religion.”
“This decision sends a clear message that individuals should not be bound for life by religious classifications imposed on them as children by their parents or by government policy,” Zorzi said. “No state should have the power to permanently assign a person’s religion.”
Countries that restrict religious conversions include Egypt, Pakistan, Malaysia and Bangladesh, which are majority Muslim countries. Similar to Iraq, these countries often impose inaccurate religious designations that can lead to barriers in marriage, complications in inheritance and conflicts in family law. Non-Muslims can face Sharia court jurisdiction or be required to enroll their children in religious education programs that oppose their faith. Some parents leave their names off their children’s birth certificates to stop the government from incorrect religious designations, which can cause more legal issues for those families.
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