Girls as young as 13 sold for so-called 'pleasure marriages' in Iraq
The girls are sold to men for as little as an hour by Shia clerics
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
October 5, 2019
Young girls in Iraq are being sold into so-called 'pleasure marriages' that can last as little as an hour for the purposes of sex. The BBC reports. The girls are typically offered by Shia clerics, despite the practice being banned, as many as 10 clerics agreed to carry out such an arrangement when asked. This custom is permitted by Sharia, one of the clerics said. Also adding later that marrying such a young girl temporarily is acceptable.
According to the BBC, the girls are often exploited, with one of them not being able to remember how many times she was 'married.' While the practice was banned under the Sunni regime of Saddam Hussein, it has resurfaced back in 2003 after the invasion to Iraq which helped grow the power and influence of Shia clerics. The war and ensuing violence also caused many young women dropping out of school to work and support sick parents or siblings who were injured. Without being able to, for example, read and write their options are limited and they are easily exploited by men who offer them such 'marriages.' The contract the woman gets from the cleric has an expiration date on it, yet a person who can't read will not be able to know this.
The authorities said they have very few options to work with unless the girl complain to the police. 'If women don't go to the police with their complaints against clerics, it's difficult for the authorities to act,' they told the BBC. In some cases, the clerics who officiate the marriages become de-facto pimps, take pictures of the girls and offer them to men. In some cases, they will agree to arrange for an adult male a child who is 9 years old, the report claimed.
https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Girls-as-young-as-13-sold-for-so-called-pleasure-marriages-in-Iraq-603743
The girls are sold to men for as little as an hour by Shia clerics
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
October 5, 2019
Young girls in Iraq are being sold into so-called 'pleasure marriages' that can last as little as an hour for the purposes of sex. The BBC reports. The girls are typically offered by Shia clerics, despite the practice being banned, as many as 10 clerics agreed to carry out such an arrangement when asked. This custom is permitted by Sharia, one of the clerics said. Also adding later that marrying such a young girl temporarily is acceptable.
According to the BBC, the girls are often exploited, with one of them not being able to remember how many times she was 'married.' While the practice was banned under the Sunni regime of Saddam Hussein, it has resurfaced back in 2003 after the invasion to Iraq which helped grow the power and influence of Shia clerics. The war and ensuing violence also caused many young women dropping out of school to work and support sick parents or siblings who were injured. Without being able to, for example, read and write their options are limited and they are easily exploited by men who offer them such 'marriages.' The contract the woman gets from the cleric has an expiration date on it, yet a person who can't read will not be able to know this.
The authorities said they have very few options to work with unless the girl complain to the police. 'If women don't go to the police with their complaints against clerics, it's difficult for the authorities to act,' they told the BBC. In some cases, the clerics who officiate the marriages become de-facto pimps, take pictures of the girls and offer them to men. In some cases, they will agree to arrange for an adult male a child who is 9 years old, the report claimed.
https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Girls-as-young-as-13-sold-for-so-called-pleasure-marriages-in-Iraq-603743
And. 
