Friday, March 29, 2024

Baghdad

Mosul newborns in limbo over Islamic State-stamped certificates

 Mosul newborns in limbo over Islamic State-stamped certificates

Representational photo.

Representational photo.
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Newborns in the restive city of Mosul are desperate for official recognition as local authorities rebuff their birth certificates issued and stamped by the Islamic State.

Birth certificates issued by the group’s health office will yield “a whole generation without an Iraqi citizenship,” according to a report by London-based al-Quds newspaper which shed light on the dilemma which came to the spotlight as the extremist group ruined all governmental registries in the city since it took over in 2014.

The newspaper quoted one parent, who referred to himself as “Abu Yazan”, as saying that registration authorities in the city refused to recognize the IS-stamped certificate issued for his two-year-old baby. He said he had applied for the certificate after his home area was liberated from group militants.

There had been thousands of births over two years and a half under its (IS) rule of Mosul,” said Abu Yazan. “What destiny are those going to have while the Iraqi state does not recognize them?,” he wondered. “This is against the Iraqi institution,” he argued, calling upon authorities to form panels comprising legal and human rights experts to address the issue.

Ahmed al-Jubouri, a human rights activist, quotes Article No.11 of the Iraqi constitution, which states that whoever is born for Iraqi parents is considered an Iraqi, prohibits the stripping of such person’s citizenship for whatever reason and entitles them to reclaim citizenship.

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