Devout Muslim 'forced boys to flog themselves in religious ceremony'

In a British legal first, Syed Mustafa Zaidi went on trial for child cruelty after allegedly making the pair flagellate themselves with a bladed whip, as part of a ritual that is centuries old.

Zaidi, 44, was taking part in the Ashura ceremony, in Manchester, in which Shia Muslims draw blood by flogging themselves with a whip called a zanjeer.

A Shiite man flagellates himself in a Baghdad street in the traditional procession of Ashura in 2005

The participants were told that under-16s were barred from taking part under English law. But Zaidi allegedly told two boys, one 13 and the other 15, to flog themselves.

Both required hospital treatment, police were called and Zaidi was arrested.

The jury at Manchester Crown Court was shown a video of the ceremony.

Zaidi, stripped to the waist, is seen repeatedly swinging the whip over his shoulders and beating his back until it is covered in blood.

Andrew Nuttall, prosecuting, showed Zaidi's zanjeer to the jury.

'This devout man used considerable force on himself, causing injuries and causing others present to fear for his safety to such an extent that they sought to intervene and calm him down,' he said.

But Zaidi gave his whip to the 15-year-old and told him to use it upon himself, the jury heard.

'It was not the practice to share the zanjeer, nor should a child use such a dangerous implement upon himself,' Mr Nuttall added.

Another member of the all-male congregation, which had gathered at a community centre in Levenshulme, stepped in and made him stop.

But Zaidi then grabbed the 13-year-old by the arm, pulled off his top, gave him the flail and ordered him to flog himself, the court was told.

'Again another male stepped in and stopped him from continuing because he was too young,' added Mr Nuttall.

The older boy suffered a wound on his back up to 1cm long. Both had multiple cuts.

The video showed 150 men chanting and cheering as several, including Zaidi, stripped to the waist and whipped themselves until their backs were bloodied.

Mr Nuttall said the prosecution was not an attack on the Shia ritual of self-flagellation.

Under questioning, Zaidi, of Eccles, denied forcing the boys to flog themselves, saying they had asked to take part in the ritual. The case continues.