Father ‘threatened to kill man’ after disabled son was told to pray away from mosque

Emirati defendant allegedly told a teacher that he was a senior police officer that could have him sent to jail.

DUBAI // The father of a boy with mental disabilities threatened to hurt a man after his son was told at a mosque to go pray at home, a court heard on Sunday.

On July 13, the boy was at a mosque in Al Warqa for fajr prayers.

“He used to recite the Quran loudly, which distracts other men at the mosque, so one man told him praying at home is better for him,” said an Emirati teacher, 39.

The teacher said he was stopped by the boy’s father after prayers and that he asked about the man who told his son to pray at home.

“He was very angry and blaming me for not standing up for his son,” the teacher said. “Then he asked me for the man’s name and address, which I didn’t give to him.

“After that he started threatening to hurt me.”

He told Dubai Criminal Court that he did not give the address because he feared the father would hurt the man.

The father told him he was a senior police official and could send him to jail, the teacher said.

“The he started saying that he would break my nose and kill me, and said he wouldn’t mind a few months in jail for it but after that he would be back and stalk us at the mosque,” said the teacher.

The defendant, 58, denied a charge of issuing threats.

The next hearing was scheduled for November 27.