An ITV investigation has uncovered that Imams appeared “willing” to agree to perform underage marriages at some mosques across the UK.
Two undercover reporters contacted 56 mosques to enquire whether they would perform the marriage of a 14-year-old girl.
Two-thirds of the mosques contacted refused to perform the ceremony but 18 of the respondents that were spoken to agreed.
Trustee of the Al Quba Mosque and Shahporan Islamic centre, Abdul Kashem from Manchester, condemned underage marriage.
Mr Kashem’s comments came after an ITV Exposure programme spoke to a man claiming to be the Imam of the mosque who said he would be willing to perform a nikah (marriage) for a 14-year-old girl.
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However Mr Kashem said the name mentioned in the report “doesn’t belong to us”. He added: “It’s an open office. It’s a mosque. It’s not something private and locked up. During the praying hours there are hundreds of people that come here. I don’t know how old this guy is and it could be age differences and maybe making fun out of it.”
Forced marriages
According to official government statistics, around 400 schoolchildren – mainly girls from South Asian communities – are forced into marriage every year in Britain.
The vast majority of forced marriages of children from the UK happen abroad, according to official figures. But the Exposure investigation has been told by “experts” in the field that children as young as 10 are being forced into marriage in Britain.
Nazir Afzal, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS North West, told Exposure that “forced marriage is probably the last form of slavery in the UK”.
The law in this country is very straight forward, that you can’t marry until you’re 16, also that you can’t engage in sexual activity consensually until you are the age of 16.
