By Elizabeth Peltola

Abused British Girls, Islamic Texts and the Men they Empower

16th January, 2025

I’ve just listened to the Home Secretary deliver the current government’s updated measures to address the sexual exploitation of children across the country. The inquiries are broad, sweeping over all sorts of abuse scandals. Both sides of the floor at least recognise the horrors imposed on so many of our young. Both sides blame the other for not dealing with the issues correctly, but at least there’s some recognition that much more must be done.

‘The church’ and ‘clergy’ were mentioned as institutions where some of its own have abused, but no mention of ‘the mosque’ or ‘Imams’, nor ‘secular’ perpetrators. Though gang related atrocities were included, the inquiry is so sweeping to include all sorts of abuse, including online, it is no wonder different governments are struggling to get the situation under control. A counter argument, from the shadow government, referred to “grooming gangs of Pakistani origin”, specifically.

Though the word ‘Islamic’ is rarely, if ever, mentioned when referring to these horrific gangs. Yet girls in more than 50 towns across the country have, and are, suffering at the hands of these thugs, who have religious texts that provides support for some of their actions.

Local authorities, in some neighbourhoods, have leaders in power who know the perpetrators, or support sub-cultures derived from lands many thousands of miles away. The story of Hannah Shah, a girl raped by her Imam father in the north of England, highlighted the plight for victims of sexual abuse in towns run by some Islamic clergy and co-country social workers. She was handed back to her father by a Pakistani social worker. That story was published 15 years ago, and yet the same scenario still plays out for English and Sikh girls who have fallen victim to bands of roving men, prowling on British girls on our streets.

Today’s announcement states victims will have access to inquiries, and will not have to return to the institutions that denied them in days gone by. For the victims sake they need outside intervention to permeate the fenced-in cultures and religious edicts that allow for ongoing abuse. It is those texts that empower and enable so many to exploit our young.

We have our heads-in-the-sand, if we think religious edicts do not impact the behaviour of religious abusers. Not every religious text encourages abuse –another mistake people make, in lumping religions together, as if they are the same. They are not.

The Qur’an is explicit in the belief that men are above women (Qur’an 4:34a). For vulnerable girls, orphans, and females who become ‘the owned’ –aka abused English and Sikh girls from Rotherham as an example– can be taken for ‘marriage’.

Marriage in Islam can last for years, or have a temporary status, such as for 3 hours. The texts of Islam include clauses that make it religiously ‘legal’ for Muslim men to have ‘rights’ to girls, outside the bounds of their traditional marriage. To them, these girls, are considered second class citizens. For those who doubt these clauses, open up any Qur’an and peruse the times it says ‘except for what your right hand possess’ (Qur’an 4:24-25; 23:6; 24:34; 70:30; 33:50). Exegetes through the centuries of Islam tell us these are the girls/women owned, captured, abducted by Muslim men. Muhammad did it, so did his crew of raiding-men. It makes it legit in the minds of many a male who follow this man.

The announcement today mentioned the need for inquiries into the culture and mindset of the grooming gangs… It doesn’t take much inquiry, though guaranteed it will take millions of tax-payers funds, to discover the root causes. The inquiry needs religoiusly informed investigators reading the texts of the Qur’an on women, and Islam’s central model-figure Muhammad and his relationship with women and girls. It is all there. Simple put, some of the behaviour of the grooming gangs are found in the life of Muhammad and his men.

Yet, will the inquiries consider the edicts of the religion of many in the grooming gangs? Will investigators hear the testimonies that reveal Qur’anic measures and verses have substantiated perpetrators behaviour as legit in their own eyes?

Let’s peruse just a few of them that set the tone for how Muslim men are allowed to engage with women, especially those they ‘own’.

Qur’an 4:3  Men may marry four women if they can treat them fairly, but if they cannot treat the women equally, then they may marry just one, or take the women they own:

“And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one or those your right hands possess [i.e., slaves]. That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice].”

Islamic texts reference ‘marriageable age’ in reference to how men behave around girls. Including orphan girls who are tested until ‘marriageable age’ (Qur’an 4:6). ‘Marriageable age’ is 9 years in traditional Islam, based on the favourite wife of Muhammad, his child-bride, Aisha. (Sahih Muslim 8:3331; Bukhari Vol. 6:298; Ed. Rizwi Faizer, The Life of Muhammad, Al-Wāqidī’s Kitāb – al- Maghāzī, 349 [note Hadith numbers differ depending on the hardcopy or online resource referenced]).

Qur’an 4:34, Then there are threats levelled against the girls and women who dare to challenge their ‘posssessors’, or who are seen as ‘disobedient’, and it can be clearly gleaned from the edicts of the Qur’an. (Bracketed [] comments are not in the Arabic Qur’an, they are a translators interpolation).

“Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.”

Oh there is so much more. That said, each perpetrator should be judged by the law individually, but those who are Islamic will have authority from their texts to support their heinous deeds against the girls of this green rain-blessed land.

So, how have those whose families have belonged to these shores for decades or centuries, been responding to their girls being abused? Anger. Rage, understandably. Some want revenge. Hate is growing, and helplessness because victim’s testimonies are not truly being heard, nor the perpetrators named, unless of course they are ‘anglican’ or ‘clergy’, then media and the government are quick to out them. We’ll speak of those perpetrators in another post, because they too belong to ‘the religious’ [that term may be part of the issue, as many can be religious but do not know the Living God]. It is right to ask if they too have religious text to support their atrocities, and what God would say about them? For this post the gang-related “grooming gangs of Pakistani origin”, to quote media and government, remain our focus.

It is 2025, and it is time to record a 10-part ten-minute film series on women, men and Islam. Last year so much was said of grooming gangs made up of primarily Muslim men, that the issue needs attention. Too many are being hurt by these perpetrators. Too many communities, including Islamic, are suffering. Division is on the rise, and anger is festering.

Yet, even in the worst case scenario, there is a solution. It will mean radical change in our societies `-and there are now many ‘societies’ within the UK– but it has happened before, and can redeem and rescue our broken streets once more. It all depends on whether we will turn and look at a man who rises above the clamour of our streets, and proves a better –yes there are better beliefs than others– way for safety and healing to hold up our young, and protect them from against actions of evil from the pits of hell.

Both the religious and secular have the freedom to look up to the man called ‘saviour’, a man of power, and of goodness, safe for his people, dangerous for those who hate him, if we are to redeem and heal what is currently broken in every corner of the land.