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[9 July 2013] - Two teachers have gone on trial accused of hitting children during religion classes at a Glasgow mosque. Shabir Rabbani, 59, and Riffat Shabbani, 51, face a total of 25 charges of assault at the Zia-Ul-Quran mosque in Kenmure Street over a ten-year period. One of the alleged victims, Adeel Ahmed, told Glasgow Sheriff Court he was hit "once or twice a month" for misbehaving. The 16-year-old said he attended the mosque between September 2009 and February 2010, adding: "On the odd occation I would be hit." Procurator fiscal depute Pauline Henderson asked: "Do you remember an incident of being hit?" The witness replied: "Once or twice I would misbehave during prayer as well and I would be hit after." Under cross-examination by Edward Targowski QC, Mr Ahmed said his parents respected Mr Rabbani and his mother was taught by him. Mr Targowski, representing Shabir Rabbani, asked: "You said you were slapped?". Mr Ahmed answered: "Yes" before confirming it was for disrupting prayer time. Mr Targowski asked him if after prayers, Mr Rabbani went up to him and hit him. Mr Ahmed replied: "He spoke to me first and he was quite angry obviously because I disturbed everyone else so then he hit me." The witness's brother, Haroon Ahmed, told the court that pupils would be told off if they did not follow the rules at the mosque. The 19-year-old was asked about a statement he gave to police in which he said Mr Rabbani slapped him. He said: "He would slap me to either the back of the head or front of the face, they were sore. He would do it when he was angry, this continued through the whole two years I went to his class. "I can't tell you how many times I was slapped by him it was far too many to remember." But in court Haroon Ahmed said much of his statement was "ridiculously exaggerated". He said: "I wanted to give the police what they wanted to hear, I was scared." Mr Rabbani, 59, of Herriot Street, Pollokshields, denies 11 charges of assaulting children at the mosque between December 2002 and February 2011. Mrs Shabbani faces 14 charges over the same time period. Both accused deny all the allegations against them. The trial, before Sheriff Martin Jones QC and a jury, continues. FURTHER INFORMATION: