Student allegedly assaulted by instructor at Canton mosque

CANTON, Mich. (WJBK) - An instructor at a Canton mosque is under arrest facing multiple felony assault charges.

The alleged victim is a 10-year-old boy left covered with welts and 65-year-old Hobibur Rahman of Hamtramck is charged with aggravated assault -- and assault with a dangerous weapon.

"My impression was that it was a shoe that was used," said Khalid Kahloon, attorney for the Masjid Bilal Mosque.

Canton police say they began investigating Rahman August 10th. He had been working at the Masjid Bilal mosque on Ridge Road.

Kahloon tells FOX 2 Thursday the alleged assault comes as a complete shock. He says Rahman, whose children also attend the mosque, was a volunteer bus driver and did odd jobs around the school.

"People use him to transport their children back and forth, and every now and then he would do gardening, mow the lawn, water the grass," Kahloon said.

Kahloon says the alleged assault happened when Rahman was picking up one of his children.

"It happened after school hours, when class was over," Kahloon said. "There was a fight between two 10-year-olds and one of them was the gentleman's son."

Kahloon says it’s believed Rahman's son told his father the other child attacked him earlier. That's when Kahloon says it appears Rahman picked up what looks like a shoe or a shoehorn and hit the other child with it.

"It is extremely disturbing and we looked into it and we may have video that recorded portions of what happened," Kahloon said.

Handing that video over to police, they say Rahman turned himself in and has been cooperative.

"He came to the police department on his own accord Monday with his attorney," said Canton Sgt. Daniel Traylor.

Kahloon says Rahman has since been banned from the mosque and they are doing everything they can to make sure this doesn't happen again.

"These children will be protected and anyone who commits any act of violence or threats of violence to the children in anyway will not be tolerated."

Rahman was given a $10,000 personal bond and is due back in court for his probable cause hearing Aug. 26. He faces up to four years in prison.