Imam kicked, pushed and dragged 9-year-old boy who forgot passage of the Koran

• Raza Ul-Mustafa Sabir attacked the child at the Jamiz Nizamia mosque
• Came after the youngster could not remember a passage of the Koran 
• Sabir then pushed, kicked and dragged the nine-year-old along the ground 
• The imam was found guilty of common assault at Derby Crown Court  

Imam Raza Ul-Mustafa Sabir, who has been found guilty of assaulting a nine-year-boy who forgot a passage of the Koran during a lesson at a mosque in Derby

An imam who had no teacher training pushed, kicked and dragged a nine-year-old boy along the ground after the youngster said the wrong words during a lesson learning the Koran.

Raza-Ul-Mustafa Sabir turned on the boy at a mosque in Derby when he forgot a passage from the holy book leaving the child with a bruised leg.

The 30-year-old had been in charge of a group of youngsters who went to lessons every day after school to learn about the Koran.

Yesterday at Derby Crown Court, Sabir was found guilty of common assault after a jury heard evidence from the boy about the attack at the Jamiz Nizamia mosque.

Gillian Foxcroft, prosecuting, said the victim in the case went to the mosque after school each day to learn the Koran.

She said that one day last summer, the child told a pastoral care worker at the mosque that Sabir had been ‘hurting them’.

He said that Sabir slapped or kicked them when they got a word wrong and it happened a number of times.

Miss Foxcroft said that Sabir had dragged the child and then ‘chucked’ him outside, pulling him by his clothing.

She added that the youngster ended up on the floor, and, when the pupil stood up, Sabir kicked the child below the right knee with his bare foot.

Police were then informed and Sabir was arrested.

In mitigation, Emma Hodgson, said that Sabir, who lived with his wife and young son, had no previous convictions and acknowledged he had no teacher training.

She said that he now intends to undergo this training, adding: ‘It’s not a case that involved deliberate sadistic behaviour, but arose through mismanagement of disruption in the classroom.’

The court also heard that Sabir had also taken on duties of leading prayers and the Friday sermon at the mosque, standing in for his father, who is currently in Pakistan due to family commitments.

But judge Jonathan Taaffe handed Sabir a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, and banned him from teaching children for five years adding he did not believe the violence was ‘an isolated incident.’

The court heard how Sabir, pictured, had no teacher training and kicked, pushed and dragged the nine-year-old boy along the floor

Judge Taaffe told him: ‘On that day you were in a position of trust as an imam of a mosque and I was absolutely satisfied that trust was breached when you disciplined that nine-year-old in such a manner that involved physical violence.

‘I was appalled to learn that the mosque did not appear to have systems in place to record any such incidents.

‘You yourself appear to have had little or no training in teaching or safeguarding training.

‘I heard evidence in the trial that involved another young child and it was clear lessons had not been learned and procedures had not been put in place.’

The attack happened at the Jamia Nizamia mosque in Derby, where the boy went everyday after school for lessons in the Koran

Sabir must also do 120 hours of unpaid work and obey a five-year criminal behaviour order, which prevents him from teaching children in mosques or any other establishment.

He was also ordered to pay £620 prosecution costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Neither Sabir or anyone from the mosque wanted to comment on the case.