A devout Muslim encouraged two teenage boys to flog themselves until their backs were covered in bloody cuts, a jury was told yesterday.

Syed Mustafa Zaidi, 44, a Shia Muslim, was celebrating the traditional Ashura festival, a ritual act of lamentation commemorating the slaughter of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Husayn, and his followers in the 14th century. It involves Shia Muslims flailing themselves with a zanjeer zani, an implement with a wooden handle and five chains attached to sharp knives. The men whip themselves to recreate the suffering of the martyrs.

After flogging himself, Mr Zaidi was said to have forced the two boys, aged 15 and 13, to join in the annual ceremony that took place last January at a community mosque in Levenshulme, Manchester. The boys were left with bloody cuts across their backs.

It is the first case of its kind, involving the religious practices of Shia Muslims, to be brought to trial in Britain. Mr Zaidi denies two counts of child cruelty amounting to “wilful ill-treatment”.

Andrew Nuttall, QC, for the prosecution, told the jury that Mr Zaidi was part of a congregation which had been warned by a community leader that children under the age of 16 were too young to participate in the flagellation. Two days later he was one of a number of men who took part in the flogging, using “considerable force upon himself and causing others to fear for his safety”.

When others sought to intervene and calm him, he turned to the older boy and told him to do it as well.

When Mr Zaidi was later arrested he told detectives that the boys had been willing participants.

Mr Nuttall said: “This is not an attack upon the practices of communities of the Shia Muslims. The defendant ignored the advice given to him that this practice was not allowed for children under 16. It was not only against the children's will but is not allowed by law.”

The trial continues today.

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