British Court Convicts Father For Encouraging Son In Ashura Rite

BBC News reported Friday that a British court has convicted a Muslim father of cruelty for encouraging his 10-year old son to take part in a Shia religious ceremony that involves self-flagellation with an instrument made up of chains and blades. Police began an investigation after the boy's mother complained. Huntingdon Crown Court imposed a 6-month suspended sentence on the father for allowing his son to take part in zanjeer matam, a ceremony practiced by some for Ashura that commemorates the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali. The father was also sentenced to 180 hours of community service and required to pay costs of £500. Another father was convicted in a similar case last September. (See prior posting.)