Iraq’s Secret Sex Trade (full documentary) | FRONTLINE + BBC News (Aired 2019)

Summary by Krater

An investigation by FRONTLINE exposes how some Shia clerics in Iraq exploit ancient marriage practices known as mut'ah, or pleasure marriages, to trap vulnerable women and children in short-term unions that amount to exploitation.

From the video

Answers: Are some Shia clerics in Iraq abusing temporary marriage practices to exploit women and children?

• Mut'ah marriage exploitation in Iraq
• Shia clerical abuse of temporary marriage
• Vulnerability of widows and orphans in Iraq
• Legal and religious status of pleasure marriage

What it concludes

• Some Shia clerics in Iraq are exploiting an ancient temporary marriage practice known as mut'ah to engage in the grooming and prostitution of vulnerable women and children.
• Many clerics operate marriage offices and conduct temporary marriages with underage girls in exchange for money, bypassing legal and familial consent.
• Despite being illegal under certain interpretations and punishable by prison time, abusive temporary marriages continue secretly because authorities fail to enforce the law effectively.