By Tim Stickings For Mailonline. Young Iraqi girls are being sold for sex in temporary 'marriages' that can last as little as an hour, a BBC documentary has revealed. Shia clerics were filmed offering 'pleasure marriages' in which men, usually banned from having sex outside marriage, can pay a dowry for an interim wife.
One cleric claimed it would be 'no problem at all' to marry girls as young as nine under Islamic law. The religious rite dates back centuries, partly intended to allow men to have a legitimate relationship while away from their wives. However, some Iraqi men and Shia clerics are now abusing it to give a veneer of legitimacy to child prostitution.
When the reporter voiced concern that he was exploiting the girl, the cleric told him: 'No way'. Another cleric, also filmed secretly, was asked if a temporary marriage with a year-old virgin would be permissible under Islamic law.
Asked about 'marrying' a young girl, one cleric told an undercover reporter that 'nine years plus, there's no problem at all' under Islamic law. Asked what happens if the girl gets hurt, the cleric said: 'That's between you and her. Later in the documentary, that second cleric went even further and offered to help procure the girls as well as conducting the marriages. Offering to take a photo of a girl and send it to the undercover client, he added: 'Then when you come back, she's yours.
That cleric also reassured the reporter that there was no child exploitation taking place. The length of the marriage must be specified in advance, and can be fixed at anything from one hour to 99 years. Some girls said that clerics had provided them with contraceptive injections to ensure they did not become pregnant.
