Afghan cleric defends 'marriage' to six-year-old girl by saying she was 'religious offering' to him

'This girl does not speak, but only repeats one thing- ‘I am afraid of this man’, ' an official said

Human rights groups say child marriages continue to take place in rural Afghanistan, despite being illegal iStock

An Afghan cleric has defended his marriage to a six-year-old girl, saying she was a “religious offering” to him.
Mohammad Karim, who is believed to be in his sixties, was arrested after marrying the girl. He has told officials that he had been given the girl as a “religious offering” by her parents, Agence France-Presse reports.
However, her parents reportedly claim she was abducted without their consent from the Herat province.