The issue has become a concern, not only to governmental and nongovernmental organizations but also to religious leaders and followers among the Muslim community, most of whom have condemned the practice.
In October 2009, 26 people died in a bus accident in Rumphi in northern Malawi, after the bus's brakes failed, causing the bus to run into a cliff about 500 meters high. Interestingly, a few days later, four primary school children claimed that they were responsible for the accident and that they did it because they were asked to do so by three elders, who are also suspected to have taken part in it.
The children, as young as 10 years old, added that they caused the accident through witchcraft's effect the night when the accident happened. The three kids told both the police and village chiefs that they pushed the bus into the cliff! This is just one of the many stories in which children and elders are believingly involved in witchcraft.
What Religion Says
Amini Tawakali Yusuf, an imam at the Machinjiri Muslim Jamaat in Blantyre, told IslamOnline.net (IOL) that witchcraft is nothing but evil and that it is by no means accepted as a Muslim practice, according to the teachings of the Qur'an. "It is not good for a person to teach witchcraft or sorcery. This is a wrong deed," said the 20-year-old imam, "There is no [Islamic] basis for doing it."
A number of Muslims have also been involved in witchcraft, with some men and women being paraded in the open for doing so. Therefore, the imam confirmed that there is a need to deal with such a rejected practice. However, the main problem that faces both the government and religious leaders is finding sufficient proof to show that a person is indeed involved in witchcraft.
"If this country had an Islamic Shari`ah law, we would have been applying it to all those found to be practicing witchcraft, but since our country does not have such laws, we can only pray that witchcraft should end. We should keep on teaching people that witchcraft is evil," said Imam Yusuf.
A number of those convicted and sentenced by the courts on witchcraft allegations are the ones whose secret has been revealed by the children they once taught the practice of witchcraft.
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In many cases, some families had their houses burned down by families of the victims. In recognition, some people, including the police force, are calling on the government to draft a bill that illegalizes witchcraft. At the moment, there is no law that admits that witchcraft or sorcery exists on the soil of the country!
Back to Imam Yusuf, what does he think about those Muslims practicing witchcraft?
"Such kinds of people are outside the religion. They are not considered Muslims since such practice is totally against the Islamic faith," replied the imam, "As believers, we need to obey God and do things that please Him. Witchcraft is not something that one can say it is for any good."
Muslim Journalist Idrissa Kasio — who once worked with Radio Islam in Blantyre, Malawi's commercial capital — told IOL that the Noble Qur'an describes witchcraft as evil.
"In the Islamic faith, this means that you are worshipping another god," said Kasio. He said that the Qur'an is clear about worshipping one God and associating nothing with Him, and witchcraft turns this belief upside down.
Amini Bilali from the Karonga Muslim Faith-Based Organization told IOL, "If witchcraft were profitable, I think many people would have been rich, and it is my hope that those who are involved in it will know God's true ways and turn away from this evil act. Since those who are teaching children witchcraft are poor, then it does not make sense. The Qur'an does not allow us to do that." Another member of KMFBO, Anne M'madi, who is also the chairlady of the organization, said there were a number of orphans in the district, most of whom have been orphaned as a result of AIDS and witchcraft.
"Our organization is helping over 500 orphans, and it is sad that most of the children are victims of witchcraft in Malawi. I wish the government should put in place laws that will protect people, especially children, from being trained as witches or wizards," said M'madi.
Doniya Ntenje, the organization's publicity secretary, said that through the organization's work of explaining the ethics of Islam to people, the evils relating to witchcraft are emphasized.
