clerics marry for a few hours in Mut’ah or pleasure marriages in Iraq


bbc, 08-10-2019 19:04:56


Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print


Sex racket: Shiite clerics marry girls off for a few hours in Mut’ah or pleasure marriages in Iraq

The victims of the sex trade run by the clerics are mostly underage girls, who are virgins

Dubai: A sex racket has been uncovered where Shiite clerics are marrying girls off for a few hours in Mut’ah or pleasure marriages.

A team of journalists went undercover in Iraq to investigate allegations that some clerics are acting as pimps and sending women into prostitution while exploiting a marriage contract called Mut’ah.

What is Mut’ah marriages?

Mut’ah or ‘pleasure marriages’ are conducted by Shiite clerics and is illegal in Iraq by law. However, some in the Shiite sect continue the practice. Under the Mut’ah contract, the man and woman can be married for a stipulated time – from a few hours to several days, with no obligations on the man. It is not the man’s problem if the woman gets pregnant. He has no financial or moral obligation.

The clerics went far beyond the practice of conducting a marriage contract, they acted as pimps, providing men with underage girls for $120, and making the practice a norm sanctioned by religion.

In the BBC report, the undercover male reporter heads to meet a Shiite cleric, who was able to provide a 13-year-old girl. The reporter was advised by the cleric to do a contract for one hour only as “the girl provided should stay a virgin, but other practices can be done with her.”

The same cleric explained to the reporter that “Sharia does not set a limit for a temporary marriage. A man can marry as many women as he wants, and he can marry a girl for half-an-hour, and another girl after the half-an-hour period ends.”

Another cleric assured the reporter that he won’t be abusing the girl: “It’s okay to have sex with a girl from the age of nine and above.”

The same clerics were reached officially by BBC London on the phone. When asked if they conduct such practices, they denied their involvement and said they only abide with normal marriage contracts. They follow the school of Ayatullah Sistani, one of the highest religious references among Shiite Muslims.

When the BBC contacted the offices of Al Sistani, they got a statement saying that those practices are condemned. A real follower of Sistani wouldn’t do it. The statement said the clerics are using the name of God and religion in wrongdoings.

Ghaith Al Tamimi, a former Shiite cleric from Iraq, who now lives in exile in London for objecting to religious extremism, denounced the clerics who use Mut’ah to exploit women and that what is being reported is a crime that must be punishable by law.

Exploited girls

One girl speaking anonymously said she was lured to a Mut’ah marriage by a cleric at the age of 13, and there are many girls like her. It’s common and spreading, she said, stressing that “it destroys the girl’s life, there is no future for us.”

An older women said she came to the cleric looking for financial help. In Islam this is common, the poor go to clerics to get help from the rich people of community. The system is called Sadaqah.

But instead of helping her he offered to marry her under a Mut’ah contract and pay her. She agreed because she had no other option, not knowing that he is luring her into a bigger circle, and started offering her to his friends and clients.

It is estimated that about one million Iraqi women have been widowed and many displaced after the wars in Iraq, prompting many of them to accept a Mut’ah marriage because of need.

Write your Comments on this Article
Your Name
Native Place / Place of Residence
Your E-mail
Your Comment   You have characters left.
Security Validation
Enter the characters in the image above
    
Disclaimer: Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Kemmannu.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.
Please note that under 66A of the IT Act, sending offensive or menacing messages through electronic communication service and sending false messages to cheat, mislead or deceive people or to cause annoyance to them is punishable. It is obligatory on kemmannu.com to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request. Hence, sending offensive comments using kemmannu.com will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Kemmannu.com be held responsible.
Similarly, Kemmannu.com reserves the right to edit / block / delete the messages without notice any content received from readers.




Mangalorean Teen Feryl Rodrigues Shines as May Que
View More

Final Journey of Mrs. Severine Pais (85 years) | LIVE from Milagres, Kallianpur, UdupiFinal Journey of Mrs. Severine Pais (85 years) | LIVE from Milagres, Kallianpur, Udupi
Final Journey of Mrs Lennie Saldanha (89 years) | LIVE from Kemmannu | UdupiFinal Journey of Mrs Lennie Saldanha (89 years) | LIVE from Kemmannu | Udupi
Final Journey of Zita Lewis (77 years) | LIVE from Kallianpur, UdupiFinal Journey of Zita Lewis (77 years) | LIVE from Kallianpur, Udupi
Final Journey of Henry Andrade (83 years) | LIVE from KemmannuFinal Journey of Henry Andrade (83 years) | LIVE from Kemmannu
Final Journey of Mr. Leo Britto (65 years) | LIVE from Mother of Sorrows Church, UdupiFinal Journey of Mr. Leo Britto (65 years) | LIVE from Mother of Sorrows Church, Udupi
Mount Rosary Church - Rozaricho Gaanch May 2025 IssueMount Rosary Church - Rozaricho Gaanch May 2025 Issue
Final Journey of Juliana Machado (93 years) | LIVE from Udyavara | UdupiFinal Journey of Juliana Machado (93 years) | LIVE from Udyavara | Udupi
Final Journey of Charles Pereira (78 years) | LIVE from KemmannuFinal Journey of Charles Pereira (78 years) | LIVE from Kemmannu
Milarchi Laram, Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Diocese of Udupi, Bulletin - April 2025Milarchi Laram, Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Diocese of Udupi, Bulletin - April 2025
Holy Saturday | St. Theresa Church, KemmannuHoly Saturday | St. Theresa Church, Kemmannu
Final Journey of Albert Lewis (85years) | LIVE From St Theresa’s Church Kemmannu | UdupiFinal Journey of Albert Lewis (85years) | LIVE From St Theresa’s Church Kemmannu | Udupi
Final Journey of Bernard G D’Souza | LIVE from MoodubelleFinal Journey of Bernard G D’Souza | LIVE from Moodubelle
Earth Angels Kemmannu Unite: Supporting Asha Fernandes on Women’s DayEarth Angels Kemmannu Unite: Supporting Asha Fernandes on Women’s Day
Final Journey of Joseph Peter Fernandes (64 years) | LIVE From Milagres, Kallianpur, UdupiFinal Journey of Joseph Peter Fernandes (64 years) | LIVE From Milagres, Kallianpur, Udupi
Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Udupi - Parish Bulletin - January 2025 IssueMilagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Udupi - Parish Bulletin - January 2025 Issue
Rozaricho Gaanch 2024 December Issue - Mount Rosary Church, SanthekatteRozaricho Gaanch 2024 December Issue - Mount Rosary Church, Santhekatte
Land/Houses for Sale in Kaup, Manipal, Kallianpur, Santhekatte, Uppor, Nejar, Kemmannu, Malpe, Ambalpady.Land/Houses  for Sale in Kaup, Manipal, Kallianpur, Santhekatte, Uppor, Nejar, Kemmannu, Malpe, Ambalpady.
Naturya - Taste of Namma Udupi - Order NOWNaturya - Taste of Namma Udupi - Order NOW
Focus Studio, Near Hotel Kidiyoor, UdupiFocus Studio, Near Hotel Kidiyoor, Udupi