Muslim community turned against victim of sexual abuse, court told

The imam denies three charges of indecent assault

A Muslim told a court that his community turned against him after he made sexual abuse allegations against a spiritual leader.

He claims that he was assaulted over a five-year period in the attic of a mosquewhich stood on a street corner in Sneinton.


Now a father, he said that mosque officials did little about his allegations and he contacted police over incidents which took place 25 years earlier.

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Mohammed Rabani, now 61, was the imam at the mosque which was on Thurgarton Street. He denies three charges of indecent assault.

Giving evidence at Nottingham Crown Court, the alleged victim said he was sent overseas when the claims first emerged.

"It was to get me out of the way so they could sweep it under the carpet so things would fizzle out and die down.

"They said people like the EDL could get hold of this - that the world is against Muslims.

"All people wanted me to do was be quiet and basically take it to my grave," he said.

The man said he did not speak of the matter to others at the mosque but claimed that Rabani did.

"He decided to go round telling everyone and make sure the whole community goes round in my face, saying 'what is all this you are saying?' People were coming up saying 'why are you making these allegations? They are not the truth.'

"It was creating a dark atmosphere. I didn't want that, I didn't want to bring disrepute to the House of the Lord," he said.

The alleged victim's brother told the court he also attended the mosque, which has now moved. He was among many children who learned the Koran from Rabani of St Stephen's Road, Nottingham.

These lessons took place in the prayer hall. He said that Rabani would punish children who made errors, slapping their faces or hitting them with a stick.

But he said that the imam never punished his brother, telling the jury: "He was being kind, which I think was out of character, because he was not like that with other children."

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David Outterside, prosecuting, said there had been a meeting of mosque members which included an official who travelled from Birmingham.

The brother told the court: "He said he would remove Rabani straightaway from leading prayers at the mosque." This action was taken, he said.

Clare Ashcroft, defending, said that the brother knew nothing of the allegations until he went with him to a police station. He agreed.


She said: "You provided a witness statement to the police. You were asked to reflect back on events which happened years ago. Your recollection was your brother seemed to have a close relationship with the imam." He said: "Yes."

Miss Ashcroft asked: "There was some chastisement if you failed to recite the Koran correctly, is that right? It was never the kind of chastisement which went beyond a simple slap."


He said: "It was not a simple slap." The trial continues.


[spoiler]
Komunitas Muslim berbalik melawan korban pelecehan seksual, kata pengadilan

Seorang Muslim mengatakan kepada pengadilan bahwa komunitasnya berbalik melawan dia setelah dia membuat tuduhan pelecehan seksual terhadap seorang pemimpin spiritual.

Dia mengklaim bahwa dia diserang selama periode lima tahun di loteng sebuah masjid yang berdiri di sudut jalan di Sneinton.


Sekarang seorang ayah, dia mengatakan bahwa pejabat masjid tidak banyak melakukan tuduhannya dan dia menghubungi polisi atas insiden yang terjadi 25 tahun sebelumnya.

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Mohammed Rabani, sekarang 61, adalah imam di masjid yang berada di Thurgarton Street. Dia menyangkal tiga tuduhan serangan tidak senonoh.

Memberikan bukti di Nottingham Crown Court , korban yang diduga mengatakan dia dikirim ke luar negeri ketika klaim pertama muncul.

"Itu membuat saya keluar dari jalan sehingga mereka bisa menyapunya di bawah karpet sehingga semuanya akan gagal dan mati.

"Mereka mengatakan orang-orang seperti EDL bisa mendapatkan ini - bahwa dunia menentang Muslim.

"Semua orang ingin saya lakukan adalah diam dan pada dasarnya membawanya ke kuburan saya," katanya.

Pria itu mengatakan dia tidak membicarakan masalah ini kepada orang lain di masjid tetapi mengklaim bahwa Rabani melakukannya.

"Dia memutuskan untuk berkeliling memberitahu semua orang dan memastikan seluruh komunitas berputar di wajahku, mengatakan 'apa yang kamu katakan?' Orang-orang datang dengan mengatakan 'mengapa Anda membuat tuduhan ini? Itu bukan kebenaran.'

"Itu menciptakan suasana gelap. Saya tidak menginginkan itu, saya tidak ingin membawa keburukan ke Rumah Tuhan," katanya.

Saudara laki-laki yang diduga korban mengatakan kepada pengadilan bahwa dia juga menghadiri masjid, yang sekarang telah pindah. Dia termasuk di antara banyak anak yang belajar Al-Quran dari Rabani dari St Stephen's Road, Nottingham.

Pelajaran ini terjadi di aula doa. Dia mengatakan bahwa Rabani akan menghukum anak-anak yang membuat kesalahan, menampar wajah mereka atau memukul mereka dengan tongkat.

Namun dia mengatakan bahwa imam tidak pernah menghukum saudaranya, mengatakan kepada juri: "Dia baik hati, yang saya pikir tidak sesuai dengan karakternya, karena dia tidak seperti itu dengan anak-anak lain."

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Imam di Sneinton masjid 'laki-laki yang disentuh secara seksual yang mendongak untuknya', pengadilan mendengar
David Outterside, penuntutan, mengatakan telah ada pertemuan anggota masjid yang termasuk seorang pejabat yang melakukan perjalanan dari Birmingham.

Saudara itu mengatakan kepada pengadilan: "Dia mengatakan dia akan segera menyingkirkan Rabani dari memimpin doa di masjid." Tindakan ini diambil, katanya.

Clare Ashcroft, membela, mengatakan bahwa saudara laki-laki itu tidak tahu apa-apa tentang tuduhan itu sampai dia pergi bersamanya ke kantor polisi. Dia setuju.


Dia berkata: "Anda memberikan pernyataan saksi kepada polisi. Anda diminta untuk mengingat kembali peristiwa yang terjadi beberapa tahun lalu. Ingatan Anda adalah saudara Anda tampaknya memiliki hubungan yang dekat dengan imam." Dia berkata: "Ya."

Miss Ashcroft bertanya: "Ada beberapa hukuman jika Anda gagal melafalkan Alquran dengan benar, kan? Itu bukan jenis hukuman yang melampaui tamparan sederhana."


Dia berkata: "Itu bukan tamparan yang sederhana." Persidangan berlanjut.
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