A Warwickshire man encouraged his 10-year-old son to flog himself during a centuries-old Muslim ceremony, a court heard.
Jurors found the 47-year-old guilty of being cruel to a child after they heard the youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was allowed to beat himself at a mosque in Birmingham.
His father, who also took part in the ceremony, was given a suspended jail term.
Prosecutors said the man, who works as a taxi driver and lives in Rugby, was the second Muslim to be convicted of cruelty as a result of allowing a boy to take part in the Matam Zanjeer ceremony.
During the ceremony, men who follow the Shia faith beat themselves with a Zanjeer – a wooden implement which has chains and blades attached to it – to commemorate the death and martyrdom of a 7th century Muslim leader.
The father, who also took part in the ceremony, had denied cruelty during a trial at Huntingdon Crown Court.
The court heard that the boy had participated in the ceremony in January 2007.
Mozammel Hossain, defending, told Judge Nicholas Coleman that the father had acted out of “love” and “devotion”.
“What he did, it is very clear, was out of devotion – religious – and his love for his son, in a very funny sort of way, and for his god,” said Mr Hossain.
“He loves his son ... his son loves him.”
“The same thing was done to him. This is the way he has seen life. His father took him to Pakistan. He wanted his son to be a man the way he himself is.”
But he said the taxi driver had learned that allowing a child to beat himself was illegal in the UK and would not re-offend.
Mr Hossain added: “It is very clear it is illegal in this country. He must not do it. He will not do it again.”
Judge Coleman said he accepted that the defendant had learned a lesson and said he wanted others to remember that British law did not allow children to be exposed to cruelty.
“Not only did you allow him to participate in the ceremony, in my judgment, you actively encouraged him,” said the judge, who had watched footage of a Matam Zanjeer ceremony during the trial.
“I must question as to why anyone would want to do this to themselves. Adults are free to make their own choices but children must not be allowed to take part.”
He added: “The boy’s injuries were slight but they could have been worse.”
The judge imposed a six-month prison term, suspended for two years, and also ordered the taxi driver to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and pay £500 prosecution costs.
Jurors heard that the man’s wife had not wanted her son to take part in the ceremony and police investigated after she raised concerns.
The court was told that he and his wife were now living apart.