Top PA official: We are only committed to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women - when it is “consistent with Islamic law”

Supreme Shari’ah Judge and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice Mahmoud Al-Habbash: "President [Abbas'] ratification in 2009 (sic., 2014) of the CEDAW convention was a ratification conditioned on what is consistent with the Palestinian constitution, with the Basic Law… We have a Basic Law that says: 'Islamic law is the source of legislation' … Truthfully, even if we signed the CEDAW convention we are not committed to it at all, except for what is consistent with Islamic law. We support all of the international laws on the condition that they are consistent with the Palestinian people’s religious, national, and cultural heritage. There is a constitutional provision. There is a decision of the Constitutional Court that settles this dispute. We are committed to the international laws in what does not contradict our national heritage, religious heritage, and our faith. The president has said this, the [PA] government has said this, and we [the Supreme Council for Shari’ah Justice] have said this."

CEDAW - The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. [UN.org]

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