College of Archaeology

The master’s thesis entitled “Criminal Liability for Domestic Violence in Mesopotamia and Anatolia – A Comparative Study” was defended in the Department of Civilization, College of Archeology, University of Mosul, on Monday, April 15, 2024 in the hall of Dr. Behnam Abu Al-Souf.
Part of the viva was attended by Professor Dr. Yasmine Abdel Karim Muhammad Ali, Dean of the College, Assistant Professor Dr. Yasser Jaber Khalil, Assistant Dean of the College for Scientific Affairs, Department Heads, and a number of College staff.
The thesis submitted by the student (Muhammad Dhiyab Ibrahim Ahmed) dealt with the criminal responsibility for domestic violence, and that holding accountable family members who transgressed was not a product of this era, but rather extends its roots back to more than two thousand years before Christ, as is clear from the contents of the cuneiform texts and the laws enacted by the legislator. The ancient Iraqi, and at a time when Western and European laws claim to be the first to establish legal rules to protect the family, what the ancient Iraqi laws brought forth proves that the ancient Iraqis had the advantage of being the first to establish the first legal rules that would protect the family and society alike.
The thesis touched on that paying attention to women’s rights and empowering their role was one of the priorities of the ancient Iraqi legislator, and this is what was stipulated in the ancient Iraqi laws. Thus, the Mesopotamian civilization gained precedence in dealing with and organizing the affairs of society, and from there it moved to the countries of the ancient Near East, including Anatolia.
The thesis aims to point out that the social organization of the family structure in Mesopotamia is based on the authority of the father and mother, and that the eldest son of the family is the one who succeeds his father in the tasks of family planning in Mesopotamia and Anatolia.
The viva committee was chaired by Professor Dr. Hussein Zahir Hamoud, and the membership of Professor Dr. Mahmoud Faris Othman from Tikrit University/College of Arts/Department of Archaeology, and Assistant Professor Dr. Khalaf Zidan Khalaf, and under the supervision and membership of Professor Dr. Abdul Rahman Younis Abdul Rahman.