Post by Stand up for Truth on May 6, 2005 17:02:44 GMT -5
Imam 'raped 13-year-old at Mosque'
10-08-2004
The mother of a girl allegedly raped when she was 13 by an imam at a mosque today said she thought a change in her daughter’s behaviour was “just a mood swing”. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had not known of the allegations against Manzoor Hussain and put her teenage daughter’s mood change down to her age. Hussain, 42, of Ashley Street, St Paul’s, Bristol, denies 11 counts of indecent assault and one charge of rape against the girl between July 1996 and March 1997. A jury at Bristol Crown Court has heard how the alleged victim, now in her 20s, attended the mosque in Montpelier, Bristol, for religious instruction and education by the imam. But Hussain is accused of cornering her at the mosque, a terrace property, and touching her improperly on numerous occasions and raping her. The jury heard how she was left “terrified, confused, and frightened” by the ordeal and did not confide in anyone until going to police last year. Her mother told the jury of nine men and three women: “She was upset and very quiet and I assumed it was mood swings. She didn’t tell me about any particular problem.” Dressed in a traditional black headscarf she spoke with emotion about her daughter who had been a top student and “never in trouble”. But she later “rebelled” against her religion and parents, turning her back on schoolwork, the woman claimed. Opening the case yesterday, prosecution barrister Ian Fenny said Hussain was a highly respected religious teacher at the mosque. He said: “He was an integral part of the life of a Muslim. With his position came power, which could be used for good or bad within the culture and religious structure.”
Mosque secretary Tahir Mahmood told the jury how Hussain was formally employed by the mosque as imam between 1991 and 1996 but continued on an unofficial basis throughout 1997. He said there was no longer a permanent teacher at the mosque as pupil numbers had dropped. The case was adjourned until tomorrow.
"Bristol Muslim Cultural Society and the Muslim community of Bristol are shocked and saddened that an ex-imam might be guilty of such offences; being prosecuted for rape and indecent assault. If found to be guilty, Islam is clear that offenders of this nature are to be punished to the maximum extent of the law . BMCS and the Muslim community trust that the court will have no hesitation in using the maximum sentence available.
An imam is supposed to be a leader of the community. Traditionally he should be educated, have an understanding of local affairs, be able to support himself, be able to speak the local language fluently and should be of exceptional moral character. Mosque management committees have failed to ensure imams meet these basic requirements. The Muslim community has long been frustrated and angered by the lack of accountability from the traditional community leaders: the mosque management committees. An allegation of this kind, whether true or not, was bound to arise sooner or later due entirely to that culture of unaccountability. BMCS has long been working to encourage local mosques to implement new policies and procedures that would eliminate the possibility for incidents like this to arise. Sadly, so far, only two of the seven mosques in Bristol have genuinely acted on our advice. Following this latest news, if the mosque committees fail to implement the necessary change then anger and frustration in the Muslim community is only bound to increase. It is now the responsibility of the Bristol Muslim community to ensure that our traditional leaders (Mosque management committees) are held accountable for the trust placed in them.
In the time of the Prophet Muhammad(SAW) individuals were reluctant to take on roles of leadership due to the moral burden of responsibility that would be placed upon them. Today in the mosques there is no shortage of the ambitious to take on leadership roles; but sadly they are neither prepared or capable to accept the moral responsibility that goes with the role."
10-08-2004
The mother of a girl allegedly raped when she was 13 by an imam at a mosque today said she thought a change in her daughter’s behaviour was “just a mood swing”. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had not known of the allegations against Manzoor Hussain and put her teenage daughter’s mood change down to her age. Hussain, 42, of Ashley Street, St Paul’s, Bristol, denies 11 counts of indecent assault and one charge of rape against the girl between July 1996 and March 1997. A jury at Bristol Crown Court has heard how the alleged victim, now in her 20s, attended the mosque in Montpelier, Bristol, for religious instruction and education by the imam. But Hussain is accused of cornering her at the mosque, a terrace property, and touching her improperly on numerous occasions and raping her. The jury heard how she was left “terrified, confused, and frightened” by the ordeal and did not confide in anyone until going to police last year. Her mother told the jury of nine men and three women: “She was upset and very quiet and I assumed it was mood swings. She didn’t tell me about any particular problem.” Dressed in a traditional black headscarf she spoke with emotion about her daughter who had been a top student and “never in trouble”. But she later “rebelled” against her religion and parents, turning her back on schoolwork, the woman claimed. Opening the case yesterday, prosecution barrister Ian Fenny said Hussain was a highly respected religious teacher at the mosque. He said: “He was an integral part of the life of a Muslim. With his position came power, which could be used for good or bad within the culture and religious structure.”
Mosque secretary Tahir Mahmood told the jury how Hussain was formally employed by the mosque as imam between 1991 and 1996 but continued on an unofficial basis throughout 1997. He said there was no longer a permanent teacher at the mosque as pupil numbers had dropped. The case was adjourned until tomorrow.
"Bristol Muslim Cultural Society and the Muslim community of Bristol are shocked and saddened that an ex-imam might be guilty of such offences; being prosecuted for rape and indecent assault. If found to be guilty, Islam is clear that offenders of this nature are to be punished to the maximum extent of the law . BMCS and the Muslim community trust that the court will have no hesitation in using the maximum sentence available.
An imam is supposed to be a leader of the community. Traditionally he should be educated, have an understanding of local affairs, be able to support himself, be able to speak the local language fluently and should be of exceptional moral character. Mosque management committees have failed to ensure imams meet these basic requirements. The Muslim community has long been frustrated and angered by the lack of accountability from the traditional community leaders: the mosque management committees. An allegation of this kind, whether true or not, was bound to arise sooner or later due entirely to that culture of unaccountability. BMCS has long been working to encourage local mosques to implement new policies and procedures that would eliminate the possibility for incidents like this to arise. Sadly, so far, only two of the seven mosques in Bristol have genuinely acted on our advice. Following this latest news, if the mosque committees fail to implement the necessary change then anger and frustration in the Muslim community is only bound to increase. It is now the responsibility of the Bristol Muslim community to ensure that our traditional leaders (Mosque management committees) are held accountable for the trust placed in them.
In the time of the Prophet Muhammad(SAW) individuals were reluctant to take on roles of leadership due to the moral burden of responsibility that would be placed upon them. Today in the mosques there is no shortage of the ambitious to take on leadership roles; but sadly they are neither prepared or capable to accept the moral responsibility that goes with the role."
