Muslim dad told 10-year-old to flog himself

A WARWICKSHIRE man encouraged his 10-year-old son to flog himself during a centuries-old Muslim ceremony, a court heard.

Jurors found the 47-year-old guilty of being cruel to a child after they heard the youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was allowed to beat himself at a mosque in Birmingham.

His father, who also took part in the ceremony, was given a suspended jail term.

Prosecutors said the man, who works as a taxi driver and lives in Rugby, was the second Muslim to be convicted of cruelty as a result of allowing a boy to take part in the Matam Zanjeer ceremony.

During the ceremony, men who follow the Shia faith beat themselves with a Zanjeer – a wooden implement which has chains and blades attached to it – to commemorate the death and martyrdom of a 7th century Muslim leader.

The father, who also took part in the ceremony, had denied cruelty during a trial at Huntingdon Crown Court.

The court heard that the boy had participated in the ceremony in January 2007.

Mozammel Hossain, defending, told Judge Nicholas Coleman that the father had acted out of “love” and “devotion”.

“What he did, it is very clear, was out of devotion – religious – and his love for his son, in a very funny sort of way, and for his god,” said Mr Hossain.

“He loves his son ... his son loves him.”

“The same thing was done to him. This is the way he has seen life. His father took him to Pakistan. He wanted his son to be a man the way he himself is.”...

Flogged for love.