Azad Chaiwala set up SecondWife.com for married men who want a second wife

The man behind a website to help Muslim men find 'second wives' has insisted the service can 'empower' women.

Azad Chaiwala, from Sunderland, set up SecondWife.com, for the 'small section' of Muslims who are looking to have multiple wives.

Appearing on ITV's This Morning, Mr Chaiwala said his website would discourage women from being mistresses and instead 'empower' them by legitimising the relationship in a way that allows it to be regarded as more than just an affair.

Viewers were shocked by Azed's beliefs, saying he was using the website to justify cheating. One tweeted: 'He says it empowers women... I'd take it more like a slap in the face as the husband is saying "you're not enough for me anymore, you're only half of what I need".'

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Azad Chaiwala, set up SecondWife.com, to help Muslim men find more wives. He claims the website helps 'empower' women by legitimising the extra-marital relationship

Polygamy, where a person has more than one spouse, is illegal in the UK, carrying a possible prison sentence of up to seven years.

Such marriages are only recognised if they took place in countries where they are legal. However, there is no law to stop unregistered religious ceremonies taking place.

Mr Chaiwala said he set up the website because he had noticed Muslim men were looking for second wives but didn't know where to find one.

Currently, there are more than 25,000 British members using the site.

While the relationships aren't legally bound marriages, Azad says they're more honourable than taking a mistress and his website helps elevate these relationships.

Azad said: 'I felt there was a need for it, there were people who wanted to get in these relationships. The premise behind these relationships was more to sway people away from being mistresses or having mistresses, and get into more formalised relationships.

Eamonn Holmes read out the verse in the Quran that justifies men taking multiple wives

Viewers were shocked by Azad's comments, saying he was trying to justify cheating

'Even though the law doesn't recognise it as this point, here's an option for at least your family to recognise it at least your community recognises it.'

This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes quoted the verse in the Quran that justified polygamy, reading: 'Then marry women of your choice, two or three, or four.'

The quote appears on the website but Azad says only a small number of Muslim men practise this lifestyle.

Azad says that mistresses are treated badly by society but being a second wife means they are elevated and empowered.

He said: 'We live in a society where men are taking mistresses, men do have side relationships and venture off on their own and it effects relationships.

'Often women are left as the victims so I'm trying elevate the status of women, give them a bit more empowerment so they are not left as just mistresses.'

The website has 'hundreds of thousands of members' according to Azad, who says it is an honourable way to have multiple wives. There are more than 25,000 British members

Azad had an arranged marriage and only has one wife but claims his wife would be happy with him to take another.

He said: 'A lot of people mistake this has men having their cake and eating it, I'm saying it's responsible and burning the calories off the cake.'

Viewers were critical of Azad's beliefs, with many saying he was a cheater that was trying to justify his actions.

The controversial website has been criticised before, with critics calling it 'deeply dangerous'.

Yasmin Rehman, of the Centre for Secular Space who is a Muslim herself, said: 'I don't think he should be allowed to do it. I think he's flouting the law - anyone else would become subject to polygamy laws. It sits alongside websites like brides from abroad.

'I meet women who have been trafficked and prostituted. I'm fed up with this being accepted. There are Muslim women across the world fighting this, some at great risk to themselves.'