DUBAI: A Bahraini high school student and two teachers have been charged with “insulting Islam” after the boy sang verses from the Quran accompanied by musical instruments, the official BNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

Islam allows intonation of Quranic verses, and recordings of chanting are frequently heard in marketplaces or on the radio and television, but singing them to musical accompaniment is prohibited.

Prosecutor Adnan Fakhro said authorities have “investigated the incident of a video published on social media of a student singing verses of the holy Quran, accompanied by musical instruments. “The report, which did not identify the instruments used, said the incident took place during an art competition.

Authorities have questioned “the student who sang and the two teachers who trained him on the song and played music,” Fakhro’s statement said. The trio are being held pending further investigation.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2015

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