17,000 sign petition demanding BBC removes from iPlayer its 'pleasure marriages' expose on how Iraqi Muslim clerics sell young girls for sex because it's 'disrespectful' to Shia Islam

From the Daily Mail

More than 17,000 people have demanded the BBC take down a documentary about young Iraqi girls being sold for sex - calling it 'disrespectful' to law-abiding Shia Muslims.

The corporation broadcast 'Undercover With The Clerics - Iraq's Secret Sex Trade' on October 3 - an investigation into sexual exploitation of children and young women by clerics in Iraq. Journalists caught clerics offering 'pleasure marriages' to girls as young as nine - where men banned from sex outside marriage can pay a dowry for an interim wife.

The practice is banned in Iraq but eight out of 10 Shia clerics who were approached were willing to carry it out, the BBC World investigation found.

But now more than 17,000 people have signed an e-petition demanding the BBC removes the show from iPlayer. The petition to the change.org petition - set up by 'Mo K' - accused the corporation of 'cherry-picking' [...] 'misguided men who do not represent Shia Islam in any way'.

"Instead of making a documentary about the world's largest, peaceful, annual pilgrimage held in Iraq, hosting 20 million people each year; the BBC have decided to cherry-pick a handful of misguided men who do not represent Shia Islam in any way, shape or form to tarnish the image of Iraq and Shias worldwide."

As part of the show, BBC Arabic's Nawal Al-Maghafi explored claims since 2003, Iraqi women have been trapped into prostitution and pimped out by the religious elite.

One young widow alleged that a cleric sold her to his friends in a prostitution ring, while secret filming revealed another cleric conducting a 'pleasure marriage' with a girl, 13.

In Karbala, Iraq's most important religious city, the undercover reporter is introduced to a cleric who claims pleasure marriage with a child is halal: 'Nine years old plus, there's no problem.' Footage showed him explaining: 'It's up to you how you want to do it, she's permitted to you. You're allowed to perform from behind. Do what you desire.'

But a BBC spokesman told MailOnline it won't be deleted and said: 'This thorough investigation was conducted over an 11-month period and exposes the sexual exploitation of children and young women. The documentary fully complies with BBC Editorial Guidelines.'

Which is a not dissimilar attitude to this Muslim London taxi driver who telephoned the LBC radio station recently. A passenger had questioned him about the persistent grooming of young English girls by Muslim men. To him this was an example of 'Normalised Prejudice' about Islam, based on what he called "a few isolated incidents in Rochdale". English saying - when in a hole, stop digging.