In a shocking incident in Hong Kong this week, a madarsa teacher slapped a 13-year-old boy so hard that the retina and cornea of his eyes were detached and the minor boy had to undergo a six-hour-long surgery on Wednesday, August 9.
Reportedly, the 35-year-old Pakistani teacher slapped Oscar, a student of Pakistani descent at the Islamic Study Centre. on Saturday last week after the boy made a mistake while reciting verses from the Quran. According to local media reports, the accused teacher has been arrested.
According to the family of the victim, Oscar’s mistake provoked the accused teacher to slap him across the face thrice, with the third strike damaging his glasses and, consequently, his eye.
Oscar’s brother, who formerly attended the same learning centre, expressed his family’s anguish and outrage at what transpired. The victim’s brother said that he knew the accused teacher and had heard multiple reports about his harsh treatment of children over the past year. “If they couldn’t memorise the verses of the Quran or made a minor error, he would resort to violence to resolve it,” he said.
A Hospital Authority official confirmed the youngster had a six-hour-long surgery on his left eye on Wednesday at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan. According to hospital officials, the boy suffered a detached retina with a 180-degree tear.
“The boy is in a stable condition and has been admitted to the hospital for close monitoring and treatment,” he explained.
Mufti Muhammad Arshad, the city’s chief imam, also weighed out on the issue. He cautioned Islamic teachers in Hong Kong that corporal punishment is banned and illegal when teaching about the religion.
The spokesperson of the hospital also stated that the victim’s family reported the matter to the police after seeking medical assistance and that Eastern Hospital referred the issue to a medical social worker.
Meanwhile, the police stated that they had been in close communication with schools and related groups in the Eastern area and that they would provide assistance and conduct investigations after receiving relevant reports.
The Muslim Council of Hong Kong commented on the case, saying that the news has upset the Muslim community in Hong Kong.
