by Ross Slater, Daily Mail
An Imam who admitted to the ‘forced marriage’ of two underage children has avoided jail…and instead been given a suspended prison sentence.
Ashraf Osmani, 52, said he was ‘unaware’ of a change to the law when he conducted a ‘Nikah ceremony’ for two 16-year-olds at Northampton’s Central Mosque.
A court heard he believed he was helping the youngsters, who were touring mosques seeking to marry, to have sexual relations without committing the sin of fornication.
But sentencing him to 15 weeks in custody, suspended for a year, Mr Justice Akhlaq Choudhury described his approach as ‘negligent’.
‘People look to you for guidance and put their trust in you,’ he said.
‘You were entirely in charge of the marriage process at the mosque and ignorance of the law is no defence. You ought to have known that the law had changed.’
He told Osmani, who stood in the dock clutching a red keffiyeh, ‘I am sorry it has come to this Mr Osmani. It was a mistake on your part but a serious one.
‘You must stay out of trouble for the next year, I’m sure you will, otherwise you will have to serve the 15 weeks imprisonment.’