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NUMBERS game ... the Salim family - mum, dad and the 11 children
NUMBERS game ... the Salim family - mum, dad and the 11 children
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Bigger the better for Salim family

Helen Johnson
22/ 5/2008

ROCHDALE’S own super-sized family is set to star in a Channel 4 documentary tonight.

Mohammed and Noreen Salim and their 11 children spent four months being followed by cameras for a one-off show about big families called 13 Kids and Wanting More.

The documentary begins the month before the family’s youngest daughter arrived in January this year.

According to Mohammed, producers were keen to focus on the religious reasons behind his enormous brood.

Mohammed was filmed explaining that his large family came about because he doesn’t want, in his words, to ‘Interfere with God’s doing’ by using contraception.

The programme also shows a health visitor warning the couple about the strain being put on Noreen’s body by her numerous pregnancies.

The Salims weren’t the largest family on the show however.

One of the other featured families was about to welcome its 12th member and another couple already had 13 children.

And despite the show’s title, the Salims have yet to beat the record, though if Mohammed gets his way, a baker’s dozen sized brood won’t be far off.

Mohammed said: "I’ve not seen the finished documentary yet, but I think it’s going to be quite positive.

"They mainly wanted to find out what it’s like for us every day coping with lots of children.

"They told us having babies is putting a lot of strain on Noreen, but she’s fine, still just as great as the day I married her."

The show airs on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight (Thursday 22 May).

Mohammed’s days in front of the camera aren’t over just yet.

He is currently filming for a Channel Five show called Seven Deadly Sins.

He will appear on the show which focuses on the sin ‘Sloth’ after revealing earlier this year that the family survive on state benefits.


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Most recent 2 of 12 user comments

   I trust the Benefits Agency will be asking about any fee he got for his TV appearance.
Kevin Hutchinson
27/05/2008 at 15:34
   What an absolute joke - after watching the documentary on Thursday night i was completely appauled at what i was watching, having a large family is all well and good, when you can provide your offspring with a decent quality of life and to me, Mr Salim is certainly unable to do that, after all to provide for such a large family, you need to earn decent money and no matter how many "british" degrees, Mr salim says he has, without getting off of his backside and finding himself a job - there will never be a job for him, does he seriously think somebody will be willing to offer him a job, when he is so brash and outspoken as he was in the film.

Without kicking off about it's the colour of his skin or his religion that prevents him form getting work, i think he needs to look closer to home for the real reason of why he is out of work, The way he behaved in that documentary was an embarassment, is there any wonder the man is jobless!

He had the audasity to walk about the town centre of Rochdale and be as brash as he was, knowing full well that he was being filmed, i take my hat off to the gent that gave him what for in respect that all the man is any good at is making babies!

What strikes me, is why do the authorities poke there noses in to the lives of familes, un-necessarily, when obviously the salim family of 13, 11 of those being children are living in a 4 bedroom house, of which it's us "working folk" that have to pay for him to live there absolutly free, and if if i'm not mistaken; Mr Salims daughter said she shared that room with 5 other siblings,and the authoraties have nothing to say about it, i know people that have been contacted by the authorities because the they have a been reported for having 3 children in one room, yet surprise, surprise Mr Salim can just seem to get away with it!

The house was appauling, you can't tell me that children living in that house day in, day out is healthy?.... it was dirty, un-hygenic, the beds had no proper bedding on them, some had no sheets at all, the matresses were heavily soiled - there is no way on this earth that the social services can class the way this this family are living is acceptable - and what is Mr Salim doing with all his spare time that he has due to not working, you can't tell me that he is looking for work 9-5 everyday, a suggestion would be to take the time to clean his house and get it in a livable state for the sake of his children.

It irrates me to think that Mr Salim has used this documentary to gain himself publicity - he thinks that it is clever, having a large family, but if you ask me, all that he has done is make himself look like a complete fool and he has broadcasted his family on national tv and also the state that they live in, Talk about bringing Shame to the area you live in, Rochdale must look really inviting!
lawny78, norden
26/05/2008 at 15:02
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