Imam accused at Dubai court of molesting woman he was trying to heal

Wife claims Egyptian waited until her husband was out the room before he touched her behind, back and neck.

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DUBAI // An imam who was invited to a family home to help heal a woman by reading Quran allegedly molested her while her husband went to the toilet.

Dubai Criminal Court heard that on July 9 the Egyptian imam, 53, was asked by a man and his wife to come to their house in Bur Dubai to read healing verses from the Quran. Court records did not elaborate on the 40-year-old woman’s condition.

She told prosecutors that the man started reciting and after a while her husband went to use the toilet, during which time the man started touching her behind, back and neck.

The woman screamed at him and, when her husband came back to the room, she told him what happened and he called police.

The imam denied a sexual assault charge in court. The hearing was rescheduled to next month to listen to the testimony of the woman.

salamir@thenational.ae