Australia: Sharia lashing 'a punishment for alcohol', court hears

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After 40 lashes, Fayad had told Mr Martinez, "I did it because I love you. Next time you think of picking up a drink, you will remember this pain."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | AU Desk
Source/Credit: The Australian | News
By AAP | October 22, 2012

A MUSLIM man who was whipped 40 times for drinking alcohol was told to remember the pain next time he thought of picking up a drink, a Sydney magistrate has been told.

Zakaryah Raad, 21, Tolga Cifci, 21, Wassim Fayad, 44, and Cengiz Coskun, 22, faced Burwood Local Court today charged with lashing Christian Martinez, 31, with an electric cable as punishment under sharia law for drinking alcohol.

The four men have pleaded not guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and stealing CCTV footage from Mr Martinez's apartment in Silverwater, in Sydney's west, in the early hours of July 17 last year.

The court heard Fayad, also known as Fadi Alemaddin, carried out the alleged whipping while the three other men held Mr Martinez down on his bed.

Fayad had become Mr Martinez's "spiritual leader" after he converted to Islam before the alleged incident, prosecutor Sevinch Morkaya said.

Mr Martinez called Fayad on the evening of the alleged event, saying he needed help after he had drunk alcohol, the court was told.

"It means I'm going to tie you up, brother," Fayad allegedly replied.

The court heard the four men then went to Mr Martinez's apartment and carried out the whipping, pausing twice to allow Mr Martinez to vomit.

After 40 lashes, Fayad had told Mr Martinez, "I did it because I love you. Next time you think of picking up a drink, you will remember this pain," Ms Morkaya said.

She said the court hearing was not about the Islamic faith.

Instead, it was about the "imposing of their view of sharia law", she said.

The hearing continues before Magistrate Brian Maloney.

AAP




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