Sigheh - Temporary marriages

Temporary marriages in Iran, also called Sigheh in Persian, are quite a controversial issue in the country.
As the name says it is temporary. This means the man and the woman can get married for an hour minimum and up to 100 years. The marriage is conducted in private by saying to each other that both are agreeing to the marriage. After the previous specified duration of the marriage is over both man and woman go their separate ways again without having to file for divorce.
This practice was meant for poor families and families of lower social status who would get a financial benefit out of such a marriage. It doesn’t require a big wedding ceremony which requires a lot of money and there will be someone who takes care financially of the girl or the woman.
The problem is that because this practice is written down in law, it is legal. The youths of Iran today misuse this practice to be able to fulfil their desires without being prosecuted. This “legal prostitution” as many criticise poses some other problems as well. What happens with children being born into temporary marriages?
According to Hossein Noei, a solicitor of Iranian and Islamic law in London, these children have the same heritage rights as children of permanent marriages. But how can they relate to their father? How can they identify themselves with their father when the family they see others have was never meant to last in the first place?

For more information on Sigheh see "Law of Desire - Temporary Marriage in Shi'i Iran" by Shahla Haeri.
The face-to-face interview with Hossein Noei was conducted in London in May 2008.