Man convicted of child cruelty over religious ceremony Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:01pm BST
LONDON (Reuters) - A man has been convicted in Manchester of child cruelty for forcing two boys to flail themselves during a Muslim ceremony, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Syed Mustafa Zaidi, 44, of Eccles, had forced the boys to whip themselves with a wooden handle attached to a number of chains with curved blades at the ends during an annual Shia Muslim ceremony, police said. The boys, aged 13 and 15, were taken to hospital by their mother suffering from several deep wounds and on their backs and multiple slash wounds. Zaidi had used the Zangeer Zani flail on himself during the ceremony at a Manchester centre in January, before being stopped by other members of the Muslim community. He then forced the boys to flagellate themselves instead. Community members stepped in again to help the youngsters. Zaidi was found guilty of two counts of child cruelty at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday. Carol Jackson, of Greater Manchester Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said in a statement: "The CPS wishes to make it clear that this prosecution was not an attack upon the practices or ceremonies of Shia Muslims. Indeed, the prosecution relied as part of its evidence upon the president of the local Shia Community Centre." Superintendent Nadeem Butt, from Greater Manchester Police said in a statement: "This man not only abused the vulnerability of these children but also went against the wishes of his own community, as well as knowingly breaking the law. "The sensitivities this case raises -- both legal and cultural -- are significant. We are aware of the community's concerns about how this case could be portrayed, and have been working closely with community leaders throughout the process." Sentencing will be on September 24. (Reporting by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Steve Addison) http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKLR32940720080827 -- DEV BOREM KORUM. Gabe Menezes. London.
