Some girls said that Shitte clerics had provided them with contraceptive injections to ensure they did not become pregnant.  

Iraqi girls as young as nine-years-old are sold into “Mutah” or temporary marriages by Shitte Clerics. The clerics were filmed offering “pleasure marriages” in which men who are prohibited to have sex outside marriage, can pay a dowry for a “one hour” marriage, BBC documentary revealed.

One cleric claimed it would be “no problem at all” to marry girls as young as nine under Twelver Shitte doctrine.

The BBC investigation found that the practice is banned in Iraq but 8/10 Shitte clerics who were approached to carry it out, and one of them even offered to procure the young girls.

The religious rite “Mutah” dates back to centuries, partly intended to allow men to have a legitimate relationship while away from their wives. 

However, some Iraqi men and Shitte clerics are now abusing it to give a veneer of legitimacy to child prostitution. 

One cleric in Karbala, an important religious site in Iraq, told the undercover BBC journalist that girls as young as nine could be subject to the procedure. 

When the reporter voiced concern that he was exploiting the girl, the cleric told him—”No way”. 

The investigation showed another cleric, who was also filmed secretly. He was asked about Mutah with a 13-year-old virgin, the cleric responded “just be careful she doesn’t lose her virginity”—indicating to have oral sex with her.

Asked what happens if the girl gets hurt, the cleric said, “That’s between you and her.”
 
The cleric offered to take a photo of a girl and send it to the undercover client, and then he said, “then when you come back, she’s yours.”

The cleric also ensured that the girl wants money and you paid her—reassuring that no child abuse is taking place. 

Some girls said that Shitte clerics had provided them with contraceptive injections to ensure they did not become pregnant.  

One girl said that she hardly remembers how many times she had been married into Mutah and she is now baking on the dowry income.

Many such girls fear that after losing their virginity in Mutah, it would be difficult for them to find a permanent husband.

The Mutah practice is prohibited in Sunni Islam, and it was banned during Saddam Hussein’s time, but after the US-Invasion of Iraq which gradually helped Iran take control of the religious schools, the practice has become rampant. 

Article compiled from inputs from DailyMail and BBC.