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| Boy, 14, 'forced to flog himself' | Boy, 14, 'forced to flog himself' |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A 14-year-old has told Manchester Crown Court how he and another boy were forced to flog themselves until they bled during a Muslim ceremony. | A 14-year-old has told Manchester Crown Court how he and another boy were forced to flog themselves until they bled during a Muslim ceremony. |
| The teenager said Syed Mustafa Zaidi made them flog themselves with a whip which had chains and blades attached, as part of a Shia religious ceremony. | The teenager said Syed Mustafa Zaidi made them flog themselves with a whip which had chains and blades attached, as part of a Shia religious ceremony. |
| He said the other boy, aged 15, was also forced to do "the knife thing" in Levenshulme, Manchester, on 19 January. | He said the other boy, aged 15, was also forced to do "the knife thing" in Levenshulme, Manchester, on 19 January. |
| Mr Zaidi, 44, of Station Road, Eccles, denies two counts of child cruelty. | Mr Zaidi, 44, of Station Road, Eccles, denies two counts of child cruelty. |
| The court heard how the defendant and the two boys were part of a large group of men who attended an Ashura ceremony commemorating the death of the spiritual leader of Shia Muslims. We said: 'We don't want to do it' The 14-year-old boy | |
| The 14-year-old boy was 13 at the time of the alleged incident, which is said to have happened at a community centre. | The 14-year-old boy was 13 at the time of the alleged incident, which is said to have happened at a community centre. |
| He said he saw Mr Zaidi flogging himself with the whip - called a zanjeer - before washing his blood from it and handing it to the 15-year-old boy. | He said he saw Mr Zaidi flogging himself with the whip - called a zanjeer - before washing his blood from it and handing it to the 15-year-old boy. |
| He told the court that Mr Zaidi was "pulling him and pushing him, 'keep doing it', telling people: 'This is a sad moment and look, he's not doing it'. | He told the court that Mr Zaidi was "pulling him and pushing him, 'keep doing it', telling people: 'This is a sad moment and look, he's not doing it'. |
| "He goes: 'I don't want to do it, I don't want to do it'. | "He goes: 'I don't want to do it, I don't want to do it'. |
| "He kept pressuring him, make him do the knife thing, pulling him, trying to get his T-shirt off, pulling and pushing him. | "He kept pressuring him, make him do the knife thing, pulling him, trying to get his T-shirt off, pulling and pushing him. |
| "He was saying 'just do it, just do it'." | "He was saying 'just do it, just do it'." |
| 'I bled' | 'I bled' |
| He said the 15-year-old boy "swung it once or twice and said: 'I don't want to do it any more'." | He said the 15-year-old boy "swung it once or twice and said: 'I don't want to do it any more'." |
| He told the court that the older boy was then pulled away by another man. | He told the court that the older boy was then pulled away by another man. |
| The 14-year-old told the jury that Mr Zaidi told them both: "Start doing it, start doing it." | The 14-year-old told the jury that Mr Zaidi told them both: "Start doing it, start doing it." |
| The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, added: "We said: 'We don't want to do it'." | The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, added: "We said: 'We don't want to do it'." |
| The teenager said: "It was known that under-16s not allowed yet he came to us and forcing us." | The teenager said: "It was known that under-16s not allowed yet he came to us and forcing us." |
| Junior zanjeer | |
| The 14-year-old also told the court how he inflicted cuts on his own back as a result of being made to flog himself. | The 14-year-old also told the court how he inflicted cuts on his own back as a result of being made to flog himself. |
| "I went home to get a bath because I was bleeding," he said. | "I went home to get a bath because I was bleeding," he said. |
| The 14-year-old boy admitted that he wanted to flog himself -but not with Mr Zaidi's whip. | |
| He said: "I wanted to do it but I didn't want someone forcing me or with his knives. | |
| "I wanted to do it but someone told me under-16 wasn't allowed." | |
| He also said he saw three boys, the youngest aged about 11, flogging themselves with junior zanjeers, which have smaller knives attached, at the ceremony. | |
| He said they were allowed to carry out the ritual if they were with a responsible adult. | |
| The boy said he had taken part in Ashura ceremonies in Pakistan from the age of six, but using a junior zanjeer. | |
| The case was adjourned until Wednesday. |