Do Iraqi foster children get adopted by people in other countries? If so, what are the statistics?
No, they are not adopted by people in other countries. One reason: Adoption is prohibited under Islamic law, which informs Iraqi civil law. Unlike in the West, orphaned Muslim children do not take the name and family relationships of their new parents. Instead, Islam allows “kefala,” a type of guardianship in which children retain their original family identities. Anyone raising a child under the kefala system must promise to raise the child as a Muslim. There’s a Christian monastery/orphanage near Mosu, Iraq that faces the same problem. There’s no adoption under Iraqi law and so for the time being the children must stay in Iraq.
