Saudi cleric calls for rapes to soothe Syrian fighters [CORRECTION]

War is hell, but a Saudi Arabian cleric, Muhammed al-Arifi, thinks he's come up with a way to improve the spirits of Syrians fighting in the country's devastating civil war. His idea: "intercourse marriages" lasting just a matter of hours "to give each fighter a turn" (aka "gang rape"). Al-Arifi suggested any woman, widowed or divorced, over the age of 14, could become a short-term bride. AlterNet notes that Saudi Arabia has funded the rebels at war with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad since April 2012, though this may be the first time rape has been broadcast as a spoil of war.

UPDATE: AlterNet, which was one of several outlets reporting on the allegations, has issued a retraction on this story after Muhammed al-Arifi denied he made these comments. "No sane person" would've said such a thing, the cleric says in a new YouTube video.

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