A taxi driver has been convicted of cruelty for encouraging his 10-year-old son to whip himself during a Shia Muslim ceremony.

The boy took part in Zanjeer Matam, in which believers beat themselves with a wooden implement with chains and blades attached to it.

His father, 47, who also took part in the ritual at a Birmingham mosque, said he acted out of “love” and “devotion”.

He was given a six-month suspended sentence at Huntingdon Crown Court.

He is the second Muslim to be convicted of cruelty as a result of allowing a boy take part in the ceremony which commemorates the death and martyrdom of a 7th Century Muslim leader, prosecutors said.

Now don’t get me wrong on this folks. I am not just picking on the Muslim’s for allowing this stupid, degrading, barbaric and painful practise.

Over the centuries. Christianity has been guilty of these archaic rituals as well so I guess my beef is, as usual, with religion in general.

As a matter of fact, this type of self-abuse should be totally banned.

I certainly don’t want it to be confused with that other form of “self-abuse!”

(If ya don’t know what I’m talking about... ask your friends!)

Allan W Janssen is the author of the book The Plain Truth About God (What the mainstream religions don’t want you to know!) and is available as an E-Book H E R E ! and as a paperback H E R E !

Visit the blog “Perspective” at http://allans-perspective.blogspot.com