This Is Staffordshire
February 2, 2011
http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Prison-held-fear-accused-cleric/article-3171249-detail/article.html
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| Mohammed Hanif Khan at Dovegate Prison in 2005. He was the first non-Christian appointed chaplain co-ordinator in the Prison Service. |
IMAM Mohammed Hanif Khan was a highly respected man within the Muslim community in Tunstall.
His position at the Capper Street mosque commanded respect and authority.
Among his duties he was responsible for leading prayers at the mosque and giving Islamic education lessons to boys who attended after-school classes.
Mr Khan, who was known as Sheik Mohammed, started his role as imam at the mosque in March 2008.
But in October 2009, just over 18 months later, his life changed forever.
Two boys who attended the mosque reported to the police that the imam had sexually abused them.
One said he was raped by Khan at the mosque on at least five different occasions. The other said Khan tried to rape him when he stayed the night at his then home in Crestfield Road, Meir.
Khan was arrested on October 19, 2009, and subsequently charged with a number of sex crimes.
Khan branded the allegations "a load of rubbish", but the jury in his three-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court did not agree, convicting him of two rapes and one count of sexual activity with a child.
The 42-year-old father-of-five told The Sentinel in an interview before his conviction that "his life will never be the same again".
He said: "If I am convicted of any of these offences it will be a gross miscarriage of justice.
"I'm not worried about going to prison. I know people.
"Prison is not a nice place to be, but I will cope inside.
"What I wouldn't be able to cope with is knowing I'm in there for a crime I didn't commit."
Before Khan became imam, he worked as the Islamic director at HMP Dovegate, near Uttoxeter.
He was appointed in 2001 and was the UK Prison Service's first full-time Islamic minister and first non-Christian ever to be appointed chaplain co-ordinator in the Prison Service.
He received an award in recognition of his outstanding chaplaincy work with inmates at the privately-run prison, which was presented to him at Buckingham Palace by Princess Anne in March, 2004.
Born the son of a shop owner in Sheffield, Khan attended an Islamic university in Pakistan, emerging with degrees in comparative religious studies and Islamic studies.
He then went to Syria where he completed a degree in the sciences of reciting and understanding the Koran.
On his return to Sheffield in 2000, he worked part-time as an Islamic minister at HMP Moorlands in Doncaster before moving to HMP Dovegate.
Khan, one of five brothers, said he had resigned himself to the fact he will never work again as a Muslim leader.
He said: "My work for people's rights, respect, individuality and diversity will always be there, but I very much doubt that I will ever work again as an imam.
"Teaching people the understanding of Islam is very important to me and I will carry on giving lectures on understanding religion.
"But my work in the future will be in a more professional capacity such as in race equality or community cohesion.
"The job as imam impacted hugely on my personal life.
"The pressure was immense and it affected my relationship with my family.
"If I am convicted of any of these offences I will be lodging an appeal."
Khan, who moved back to Sheffield following his initial arrest, was remanded in custody yesterday.
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