Video of Quran teacher beating pupil under scrutiny in Saudi Arabia

The Holy Quran Memorization Organization (HQMO) is probing a video showing a teacher allegedly beating up pupils in a Quran memorization session held in the Quba Mosque.

In the video, the teacher appears to be holding a black spiral hose in his hands, which he uses to beat the seven pupils while they beg him to stop.

Sheikh Emad Hafiz, HQMO deputy director, said the teacher will be asked to appear for an investigation, stressing that the organization is against the use of violent methods in Quranic sessions. “We have sent letters to all teachers before, asking them not to resort to any form of violence against students during such sessions,” Sheikh Hafiz said.

Earlier, the organization dismissed a teacher for beating up children while teaching them the Holy Quran, Sheikh Hafiz said.

When the organization came to learn about the teacher, it immediately took the necessary measures and fired him. The same thing will be done if this teacher turns out to be on the HQMO payroll.

He noted that sometimes HQMO teachers ask teachers who do not work for the organization to fill in for them during these sessions.

Muhammad Al-Khatri, director of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Dawah, and Guidance’s Madinah branch, said the ministry does not follow up such cases because it is not its responsibility to do that. He said it was the HQMO’s responsibility.

Sharaf Al-Qarafi, supervisor of the National Society for Human Rights’ Madinah branch, condemned the behavior of the teacher in the video, describing it as a flagrant breach of child rights treaties and agreements to which the Kingdom is a signatory. “We have started probing the video and we will contact the pertinent authorities,” he said.

(This article was first published in Saudi Gazette on Feb. 4, 2014)