{"id":14406,"date":"2024-05-01T23:48:57","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T13:48:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/?p=14406"},"modified":"2024-05-02T10:05:50","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T00:05:50","slug":"why-its-important-to-deal-with-the-dark-history-of-witch-hunting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/01\/why-its-important-to-deal-with-the-dark-history-of-witch-hunting\/","title":{"rendered":"Why it’s important to deal with the dark history of witch-hunting"},"content":{"rendered":"

In recent decades, governments the world over have increasingly taken action to address the dark history of witch-hunting. In western Europe, memorials to victims have been erected at sites in Bamberg (Germany)<\/a>,\u00a0Vard\u00f8 (Norway)<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Zugarramurdi (Spain)<\/a>. Many states have also taken to issuing national apologies, with some even granting posthumous pardons.<\/p>\n

The witchcraft exoneration movement isn\u2019t simply about addressing past injustices. Violence directed at suspected witches persists across the world today and, alarmingly, seems to be intensifying.<\/p>\n

The\u00a02023 Annual Report<\/a>\u00a0of the United Nations Human Rights Council asserts that each year, hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people are harmed in locations such as sub-Saharan Africa, India and\u00a0Papua New Guinea<\/a>\u00a0because of belief in witchcraft.<\/p>\n

One\u00a02020 UN report<\/a> states at least 20,000 ‘witches’ were killed across 60 countries between 2009 and 2019. The actual number is likely much higher as incidents are severely under-reported. These sobering statistics indicate a need for urgent government action.<\/p>\n

State-issued exoneration for victims of witchcraft persecution isn\u2019t a modern concept. The most notable example was in the aftermath of the\u00a0Salem witch trials<\/a>\u00a0(1692\u201393), in which at least 25 people (mostly women) were executed, tortured to death, or left to die in jail.<\/p>\n

In the decades that followed, the citizens of Salem submitted petitions demanding a reversal of convictions for those found ‘guilty’ of witchcraft, and compensation for survivors. In 1711, Massachusetts Governor Joseph Dudley agreed to these<\/a>\u00a0demands.<\/p>\n

More recently, many states have moved to recognise and make amends for their historical involvement in witch-hunting. On International Women\u2019s Day 2022, Scotland\u2019s former first minister Nicola Sturgeon issued a\u00a0national apology<\/a>\u00a0to people accused of witchcraft between the 16th and 18th centuries.<\/p>\n

In 2023, Connecticut lawmakers passed a motion to\u00a0exonerate the individuals executed<\/a>\u00a0by the state for witchcraft during the 17th century. This motion is the result of grassroots campaigning by descendants and groups such as the\u00a0Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, as historian\u00a0Jan Machielsen warns<\/a>, the exoneration process can also be problematic. For instance, apologies or pardons may ignore the central role of communities in historical witch-hunts.<\/p>\n

Most witchcraft accusations emerged from neighbourly disputes and involved active participation by both the community and authorities. Even when European states\u00a0ceased persecution<\/a>\u00a0in the 18th century, community-level violence continued.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, advocates for witchcraft exoneration projects argue that state pardons are more important than ever, not least because they can\u00a0help address ongoing<\/a>\u00a0witchcraft-related violence.<\/p>\n

Modern witchcraft persecutions are driven largely by religious fundamentalism and are further exacerbated by factors such as\u00a0civil conflict, poverty, and resource scarcity<\/a>. Biblical passages such as Exodus 22:18 are clear on the matter: \u201cThou shalt not suffer a witch to live\u201d.<\/p>\n

In particular, the growth of\u00a0Pentecostalism in developing nations<\/a>\u00a0has played a central role in fuelling witch-hunts.<\/p>\n

Pentecostal evangelising<\/a>\u00a0has effectively demonised many cultural traditions \u2013 superimposing a strict religious attitude towards magic onto societies that have long accommodated such beliefs. This is evident in the ongoing crusade led by Helen Ukpabio, founder of the notorious Nigerian church Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries.<\/p>\n

Modern witchcraft persecutions are driven largely by religious fundamentalism and are further exacerbated by factors such as\u00a0civil conflict, poverty, and resource scarcity.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Witchcraft-related violence has also been\u00a0a growing concern in the United Kingdom<\/a>, particularly within the African disapora. One of the most shocking cases was the 2010 death of 15-year-old\u00a0Kristy Bamu<\/a>\u00a0in London.<\/p>\n

Bamu was tortured by his older sister and her partner for days, as they believed he was a witch. On Christmas Day, Bamu was forced into a bath for an exorcism, where he drowned. In response to such horrific cases, London\u2019s Metropolitan Police launched\u00a0The Amber Project<\/a>\u00a0in 2021 to address increasing incidents of child abuse linked to belief in witchcraft and spirit possession.<\/p>\n

Misogyny has also been a prevalent factor in historical witchcraft prosecutions and remains so today. According to the\u00a0UN<\/a>, \u201cwomen who do not fulfil gender stereotypes, such as widows, childless or unmarried women, are at increased risk of accusations of witchcraft and systemic discrimination\u201d.<\/p>\n

Witchcraft accusations are often a means to exert control over the bodies of women and girls, while maintaining male-dominated power structures. Accusations also play a role in\u00a0human trafficking<\/a>\u00a0by making it easier to drive victims out of their communities.<\/p>\n

Belief in harmful magic and\/or witchcraft exists across many societies. India has a long history of witch-hunting and\u00a0continues to be plagued<\/a>\u00a0by this terrible injustice. One victim was\u00a0Salo Devi<\/a>, a 58-year-old woman from a small village in the state of Jharkhand. In 2023 she was beaten to death by her neighbours for allegedly bewitching a baby.<\/p>\n

Papua New Guinea<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0sub-Saharan Africa<\/a>\u00a0are also hotspots for witchcraft-related violence.<\/p>\n

Violence isn\u2019t just used as a punishment against accused witches, but is often part of the remedy. Attempts at counter-witchcraft or exorcisms have been a significant source of harm,\u00a0particularly for children<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cultural beliefs surrounding disabilities and misunderstood conditions such as\u00a0albinism<\/a>\u00a0have also been used as justification for beatings, banishment, limb amputation, torture and murder.<\/p>\n

So prevalent is such violence that in 2021 the UN Human Rights Council issued a historic\u00a0special resolution<\/a>\u00a0calling for the \u201celimination of harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks\u201d. This resolution urges member states not only to condemn these practices but also to take action to abolish them.<\/p>\n

The UN and numerous\u00a0non-government organisations<\/a>\u00a0are implementing programs to educate communities at risk of witchcraft-related violence. Leo Igwe, a Nigerian human rights activist and director of\u00a0Advocacy for Alleged Witches<\/a>, has played a central role in increasing public awareness of this violence. More voices like his are needed. At the same time, increased recognition is only the beginning.<\/p>\n

The UN has issued numerous denouncements and a few states have introduced\u00a0anti-witchcraft bills<\/a>. Additional legal protections, multi-agency task forces and national apologies will help bring more attention to this pressing issue.<\/p>\n

Above all, it\u2019s necessary to address the beliefs and motivations that underpin witchcraft accusations. By doing so, we can reverse the alarming rate of witchcraft-related deaths recorded each year.<\/p>\n

This article was originally published in <\/strong><\/em>The Conversation<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Phone by Artem Maltsev<\/a> on Unsplash.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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