Sorcery/Wizardry Database

Dubai jails 'wizard' who promised rain of cashThe Associated PressWednesday, January 12, 2011; 9:23 AMhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/12/AR2011011201629.html

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- A Dubai court has given a three-year jail sentence to a self-professed African wizard who claimed he could make millions of dollars rain from the sky in exchange for a modest payment to genies.

The court Wednesday also ordered deportation for the man, a blacksmith from Chad, after he serves his time.

An undercover police officer testified that the man began a ceremony and asked for a "tip" of 200 dirham ($54) for genies to shower down $25 million last year.

Rain is a major topic each winter in the United Arab Emirates, where farmers and others await the infrequent seasonal showers. This year, rain has been so scarce that the UAE's president asked for mosques to offer special prayers for cloudbursts last month.

45 people lynched amid Haiti cholera fearsBy (AFP) Posted Thursday, December 23 2010 at 14:38http://www.nation.co.ke/News/world/-/1068/1077634/-/4wdap0z/-/index.html

Angry Haitian mobs have lynched at least 45 people in recent weeks, accusing them of spreading a cholera outbreak that has killed over 2,500 people across the country, officials said Wednesday.

The number included at least 14 suspected sorcerers previously known to have been lynched in the far southwestern region of Grand'Anse as local people feared they were spreading cholera with a magical substance. The area has been largely spared by the outbreak.

"We have counted 40 people dead in Grand'Anse department alone, where people are attacking natural healers they accuse of cholera-linked witchcraft," said communications ministry official Moise Fritz Evens.

Five other people were killed in similar circumstances elsewhere in the country.

"The victims -- most of them voodoo priests -- were stoned or hacked with machetes before being burned in the street," added the official, who was presenting the results of an investigation conducted in Grand'Anse earlier this month.

Communications minister Marie-Laurence Lassegue said "voodoo practitioners have nothing to do with the cholera epidemic. We must press for an awareness campaign about the disease in the communities."

Official figures earlier showed the water-borne bacterial infection has claimed 2,591 lives so far in the nation's first cholera outbreak in more than a century. The disease first appeared in mid-October in the north.

Health ministry figures as of December 17 showed 121,518 people had been treated for the water-borne bacterial infection, including 63,711 who received hospital treatment.

And in a sign there is no end in sight for the disease that has become a thorn in the side of the already deeply troubled nation, about 50 people died on each of the last five days recorded. At the outbreak's peak in November, there were daily death tolls of 60, 70 and even 80 and above.

The cholera outbreak led to deadly anti-UN riots last month as a desperate populace turned its anger on peacekeepers from Nepal accused of bringing the disease into the country.

The first lynching cases date back to late last month, when mobs hacked or stoned to death their victims.

About half of Haiti's population is believed to practice the voodoo religion in some form, though many are thought to also follow other religious beliefs at the same time. Sorcery and spiritual magic have been incorporated into some of the beliefs.

Voodoo evolved out of the beliefs that slaves from West Africa brought with them to Haiti. It is now deeply rooted in Haitian culture.

Western evangelical Christian movements however are also making inroads in Haiti, and religious tensions have risen in the wake of January's catastrophic earthquake that killed 250,000 people and left more than one million homeless.

Egyptian footballers in Niger met with sorcerers, goatsThu, 07/10/2010 - 18:35http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/egyptian-footballers-niger-met-sorcerers-goats

The Egyptian national football team was met with heavy rains and thunderstorms upon its arrival in Niamey, the capital of Niger, where it will participate in the second round of playoffs in the African Nations Cup football tournament.

The trip from Cairo took a total of 13 hours, including a one-hour layover in the Libyan city of Tripoli. Team members were reportedly rattled as the plane touched down amid turbulent weather conditions.

They were met at the airport by fans of Niger’s national team, including several local sorcerers who performed magical rituals--some involving live goats--before the disconcerted Egyptians. Some magicians went so far as to spray the Egyptian footballers with mysterious potions.

Essam al-Hadari, captain of the Egyptian team, urged local authorities to disperse the sorcerers, but to little effect. At one point, al-Hadari himself almost clashed with one of the more aggressive medicine men.

The sorcerers continued to spray the Egyptian players with potions until the latter boarded their bus to the stadium.

In an effort to ward off the effects of maleficent magic, prominent Egyptian footballer Mohamed Abu Treika cited verses from the Quran, while teammate Amr Zaki punched one of the sorcerers in the face.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.

Sorcerer’ killed in Kampong SpeuTuesday, 11 January 2011 15:01 Mom Kunthearhttp://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011011145997/National-news/sorcerer-killed-in-kampong-speu.html

POLICE in Kampong Speu province say they are investigating the death of an accused sorcerer in the province’s Oral district on the weekend.

Sieng Soeun, 51, had his throat slit by unknown assailants on Saturday night, as he was walking home after drinking palm sugar juice with his friends in Tasal commune.

Oral district Deputy Police Chief Buth Bunthoeun said that the motive for the killing remained obscure, and refused to comment on whether police have any suspects.

“I found there are many people that live around him who hate him and believe that the victim knows about sorcery, but I don’t know the real reason behind the killing yet,” he said yesterday.

“We are investigating whether the man was killed for personal reasons or accusations of sorcery, and I can’t say more about how many killers there were or where they come from because it is an ongoing investigation.”

Rath Thavy, provincial monitor for local rights group Adhoc, said that it was difficult to evaluate cases in which the victims are accused of sorcery.

“It can be an excuse if the killers accuse the victim of sorcery, because they may have a personal motive and could kill the victim [for that reason],” Rath Thavy said.

He added that this was the first death of an accused sorcerer in Kampong Speu province so far this year, though two people were accused of sorcery in the province in 2010.

Sorcery charges are not uncommon in rural Cambodia, which has seen eight instances of accused sorcerers being killed since 2008, according to a recent report by rights group Licadho.

Chhay Thy, Adhoc’s rights monitor in Ratanakkiri province, said there have been five documented cases of witchcraft in the province since 2003.

“There were five cases of witchcraft and three of those people were killed,” he said.

Indian shaman 'poisons women in witchcraft test'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12149785

10 January 2011 Last updated at 07:11 EThttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12149785

An Indian shaman who allegedly forced women to drink a potion to prove they were not witches has been arrested.

Nearly 30 women fell ill after they were rounded up in Shivni village in central Chhattisgarh state on Sunday and made to drink the herbal brew.

A senior police officer told the BBC that six villagers had also been arrested.

Witch hunts targeting women are common in east and central India, and a number of accused are killed every year.Continue reading the main story“Start Quote

The witch doctor said that after drinking the brew, the real witch would voluntarily confess”

End Quote Rajesh Joshi Police spokesman

Most of the cases take place in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar.

Police spokesman Rajesh Joshi told the BBC that an 18-year-old villager was accused of witchcraft because she had been unwell.

"Her father Sitaram Rathod and other villagers suspected that it [her illness] could be due to an evil spell cast by a witch," Mr Joshi said.

"They [the villagers] called for an ojha [witch doctor] to ward off the spell."

Authorities said the shaman, named as Bhagwan Deen, had been helped by a few other residents as he rounded up nearly all the adult women in the centre of the village.

He concocted the potion test after conducting rituals which failed to expose the alleged witch.

"The shaman then forced the women to consume a drink that he had made out of a local poisonous herb," Mr Joshi said. "He said that after drinking the brew, the real witch would voluntarily confess."

Of the nearly 30 women taken to hospital after the incident, around 25 women have since been discharged.

But police said five remained in hospital, including a 70-year-old woman who was in a serious condition.

Malawi rights group pays fines to free elderly 'witches'http://www.mg.co.za/article/2011-01-12-malawi-rights-group-pays-fines-to-free-elderly-witchesBLANTYRE, MALAWI Jan 12 2011 07:26

A Malawian rights group said on Tuesday it had paid fines to secure the release of three elderly women sent to prison after being accused of witchcraft.

"We paid fines of $33 for each of the convicts. We are very very happy, although the fight is on to seek the release of 50 others," George Thindwa, executive director of the Association of Secular Humanism, told Agence France-Presse.

The three, aged 80, 72 and 62, were convicted a month ago by a court in Salima district, some 100km from the administrative capital Lilongwe, after having been accused of witchcraft by their neighbours.

They were sentenced to one year in prison because they could not pay the 33-dollar fine, a large sum in a country where half of the population of 13-million lives on less than a dollar a day.

The case highlighted concerns over rights violations in Malawi based on allegations of witchcraft. Belief in witchcraft and traditional medicine runs deep in this former British colony, largely dominated by Christians.

Harsh sentencesWitchcraft is not technically illegal in Malawi but Thindwa's group has accused police and prosecutors of charging suspected "witches" under laws against causing breaches of the peace.

"Sentences passed to alleged witches have also been harsh and not in accordance with the stipulated sentences," he said.

The three elderly "witches" were sent to a notorious prison in Lilongwe where Thindwa said "they were suffering because of being poor and old."

"We appealed to our members and friends who solicited the funds" to pay the fines, said Thindwa, whose group last year launched a campaign against rights abuses based on witchcraft accusations.

Badly performing schools blame witchcrafthttp://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article851368.ece/Badly-performing-schools-blame-witchcraftJan 14, 2011 10:08 AM

ES Malele and Ben Matlhosa were amongst the poorest performing schools in 2010. They blame witchcraft.

Their principals claimed to the MEC the reason for their under-performance was "witchcraft", department spokesman Joseph Mabuza said.

"The principals said that the learners did not trust each other, and they believed that there are learners within the schools who are bewitching them.

"They alleged that on some of the school days, some learners collapse and get confused after recovering," he said.

MEC Vusi Shongwe meanwhile is calling on teachers and parents to make sure children attend classes, and for pupils to form study groups to improve their results.

He is also calling for the municipality to help schools with logistical needs such as water and grass cutting equipment.

Magistrate sends man down for 27 years, then drops deadhttp://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-4266-Magistrate%20drops%20dead%20in%20court/news.aspx14/01/2011 00:00:00

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A MAGISTRATE sent a cattle thief to jail for 27 years -- then collapsed dead.

In Chipinge, famed for its witch doctors, Samuel Zuze's death in a courtroom on Wednesday has elicited one explanation: witchcraft.

Witnesses said the magistrate was about to sentence two other rustlers when he suddenly collapsed and started foaming at the mouth.

He was rushed to the local St Peters Hospital where he was declared dead on admission.

In a statement, secretary-general of the Magistrates Association of Zimbabwe, Munamato Mutevedzi, said a post-mortem had not been conducted and they were not yet sure of the cause of his death.

“The circumstances surrounding his death are that he had travelled to Chisumbanje for a circuit court there. While in court, he started coughing and adjourned court. He went and sat in his car,” he said.

However, police indicated that the magistrate's medical record indicated a long battle with diabetes and hypertension.

But locals were in no doubt about the cause of Zuze’s sudden death.

Villagers around Chipinge insisted that the magistrate had been attacked by ‘goblins’ unleashed by the suspects.

“This area has a lot of people who are involved in ‘witchcraft’ activities and that is why some believe that goblins attacked the magistrate,” a police officer was quoted as saying by state media.

LIVE: Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan addresses country in televised addresshttp://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=233977January 25, 2011 share

- Brothers and sisters. On this occasion, I would like to say a few words regarding this occasion and the developments in the country and the region.

- Regarding the occasion, Arba’een [a Shia Muslim holiday marking the passage of 40 days following Imam Hussein’s martyrdom] is a reminder of Ashura.

- God wanted the Resistance to be established in 1982 to destroy every US and Zionist project.

- The Islamic Resistance [was born] from the city of Baalbek to scream: Hail Hussein! Hail Hussein!

- We recall [the past] days when it was said that Israel beats everyone. We recall the days in which our [leader] Abbas Moussawi came out and wore military garb and called on men to take part in training camps and join the Resistance.

- Brothers and sisters, on the day of the resistant, we must address the [events] in the region.

- I hail the people of Tunisia who revolted and called for their rights and refused to be oppressed.

- We call on the people of Tunisia to unite and be aware [of dangers].

- Yesterday, we heard that Mr. [Jeffrey] Feltman visited Tunisia. This is a bad sign.

- There is a new US plot being made [in Tunisia]. This must be rejected, because when the US and this sorcerer Feltman comes, there will be destruction.

- People talks about [Gilad] Shalit [the Israeli soldier captured in Gaza] and forget about the Palestinian people.

- We say on this occasion… that from day one, we believed in Palestine and its people, and we will keep on struggling with [them] and fight [against Israel].

- We aim to cooperate with each other to cross this dangerous phase.

- We sought to resort to constitutional institutions [in Lebanon]. In order to face the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) indictment, we practiced our right and the [March 8] ministers resigned.

- Then we took part in consultations to name a new premier for the country.

- A few moments ago, President [Michel Sleiman] appointed former PM Najib Mikati as Lebanon’s new premier.

- The battle over the premiership consultations was very strong. I would like to tell you that many [foreign powers] interfered in it.

- Imagine that US Vice President Joe Biden called one of the MPs to pressure them [to vote for outgoing PM Saad Hariri].

- We have reached this result, and I have said that we understand the anger and feeling of [Hariri’s supporters]. But I want to say something, let’s suppose the results were vice-versa and [March 8] supporters took to the streets to protest, we would have witnessed a [US] and global campaign to label [March 8] as coup seekers.

- However, because [March 14] is behind the protests, they have refrained from commenting on it.

- Why [does the West] respect the will of [March 14] and condemn the opposition?

- This proves that [the US] is only bound to political calculations and is backing one coalition [March 14] against the other.

- In all cases, today, there is a new opportunity. Threats against [Prime Minister-designate] Najib Mikati will be useless.

- Some leadership groups who know what they are doing seem to have an experience in forging facts, starting with the STL, false witnesses, [and now a] new forgery.

- [March 14] wants to start saying that Mikati is Hezbollah’s candidate, but in the 2009 [Parliamentary Elections] he was running [on Hariri’s list].

- Saying that Mikati is Hezbollah’s candidate is a sectarian provocation.

- In the last 48 hours, Mikati decided to run for premiership, so the opposition found in him an opportunity for Lebanon because March 8 did not want to enter in an battle [to abolish] March 14.

- The next PM will not be Hezbollah’s, nor will the next cabinet. This is only said to provoke [foreign powers] against Lebanon, [including] the US and Israel.

- I wish for those to stop forging, because it will not yield results.

- We are not power seekers. Until 2005, [Hezbollah] did not take part in any cabinet.

- We never asked for a ministerial portfolio.

- All we asked for [we did as a Resistance]. We did our best to defend the country and [liberate] its land.

- We want two things from you: 1- Leave us alone, we do not want you to plot against us or backstab us. We are going to die in the South… but leave us alone. Let us be killed by gunshots pointed at our chest, not our backs.

- In the past years, what did [the Hariri cabinet] do for the North, Akkar, etc.?

- People go sleep while we train because we believe that there will be transformations in the region, because we believe that the Palestinian people is at the riskiest of phases [right now].

- Because since 2005, [March 14] went to Washington and made commitments and are plotting against the Resistance. You asked for the [2006] July War on Lebanon and today comes the STL project to get rid of the Resistance, but you will fail.

- The biggest forgery and lie is to accuse Hezbollah of wanting to control the country… and impose the Persian project.

- This talk will not yield results. As for Hezbollah, we have a vision. We support Mikati and we ask him to form a national unity cabinet. We do not want a victor or a loser.

- Rejecting to take part in the next cabinet means that [March 14] wants to rule the country alone.

- We have a lot of problems regarding [March 14]’s fiscal projects.

- It is up to the Lebanese. If [we] do not seek to form a national unity cabinet, where are [we] taking the country?

- The world does not have a time for you. Let us not waste time.

- Regarding the threats that the cabinet is being led by Hezbollah, what [do you think] Israel will do in Lebanon [afterwards]?

- The army, people and Resistance of Lebanon [protect the country]. [All three] are there and ready.

- The balance of deterrence that [was created in Lebanon] by the Resistance protects Lebanon.

- The chance is there for anyone. Those who do not want to take part in the next cabinet, should give Mikati at least a year.

- But those who want to protest in the streets want to say : Me or no one else.

- You are asked to be wise, patient… Hussein will keep on calling for you to confront Israel and the US.

- We want to tell the Hussein that we will not be cheap in bloodshed. Hail Hussein. Hail Hussein.

How Tokyo’s ‘juju’ scared Alao-Akala’s bulldozersPosted by admin General Politics, Oyo, State News Saturday, January 22nd, 2011http://newnigerianpolitics.com/2011/01/22/how-tokyo%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98juju%E2%80%99-scared-alao-akala%E2%80%99s-bulldozers/

More facts have emerged on why the Oyo State government failed to demolish the state secretariat of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at the Olomi area of Ibadan, the state capital, on Thursday.

Although the authorities had mobilized a team, comprising officials of the state Ministry of Environment and Water Resources and security agents, led by the commissioner, Alhaji Mukaila Aborode, for the exercise, the squad could not secure payloaders or bulldozers to execute the assignment.

Sunday Sun learnt that virtually all the machines in the ministries were grounded, forcing the team to resort to renting from private operators.However, it was gathered that none of the owners of the bulldozers contacted was willing to take on the contract, due to news making the rounds in the city that the targeted premises had been charmed, such that anyone who dared to take on the job risked his life.

Sources said that some hours after news of the government’s plan to reduce the union’s secretariat to rubble leaked to the Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (aka. Tokyo)-led executive of the NURTW, several fetish rituals were reportedly performed to “protect the union’s legacy.” Superstitious city residents were said to have interpreted this as a warning that whoever attacked the building could die mysteriously.

A very senior ministry official said the team combed the entire city in vain and despite huge and tempting financial offers, it could not persuade the operators to take on the job. Determined to go on with the exercise, the government officials resuscitated a partially functional bulldozer belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture at the state secretariat in Agodi, but were miffed when the driver reportedly suddenly developed a strange illness after accepting to go, forcing them to abandon the mission.

The Environment Commissioner confirmed the ministry’s frustration in an interview with our reporter, but attributed it to the likelihood of a directive by the unionists to the operators not to cooperate so as to sabotage the exercise. Aborode however said there was no going back on the government’s resolve to pull down the edifice. He dismissed the ‘juju’ scare, saying he would supervise the demolition as soon as government was able to secure a machine.

It was also gathered that the operators’ action might have been due to fear of being caught in a possible cross-fire between security agents accompanying the task force and union members, who were said to have laid ambush for the demolition team in the neighbourhood, on getting wind of the government’s move.Sources said armed unionists were said to have mounted a blockade to the secretariat with vandalized vehicles and other items while they took positions waiting for the team.

“The situation there (Olomi) was again tense. It could have been bloody if the police and the government (team) had come because they (union) were ready to defend their place,” a resident said. Members of the Tokyo faction were said to be milling round the secretariat at noon on Friday when the government called off the exercise.

While parleying with the members of the national executive of the union led by the president, Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, who visited his office on Friday, Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala said: “I was to take action yesterday (Thursday) but it was because of your coming today that this had to be shelved. I wanted to demolish the building and build a public school and relocate you to a virgin land somewhere else.

Spanish police break up 'voodoo' prostitution ring03/02/2011 12:02 MADRID, Feb 3 (AFP)http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=110203120207.dzjmdmzy.php

Spain's police said Thursday they had broken up an international ring that forced women from Africa into street prostitution with constant beatings and voodoo rituals.

Police arrested 17 suspects in cities across Spain, taking the gang apart after one of the prostitutes gave evidence as a protected witness of her ordeal at the hands of the gang.

"The organisation was perfectly structured with connections in various African countries such as Nigeria, Benin, Niger, Algeria and Morocco, through which the women passed until their arrival in Spain," police said in a statement.

"The women were forced with voodoo practices and constant beatings to work as street prostitutes to repay a 'debt' to the organisation that rose as high as 50,000 euros ($69,000)," they said.

The gang is accused of forging identity papers such as Nigerian passports for their victims.

They also stole credit card numbers by hacking on the Internet, used them to buy goods especially from on-line stores in the United States, and then re-sold the objects at great profit, police said.

Spanish police have swooped several times in past years on similar prostitution rings that used the threat of voodoo curses to frighten their victims into obedience.

Witchcraft Spellshttp://www.modernghana.com/lifestyle/2061/16/witchcraft-spells.htmlSpirituality | 41 minutes ago

Here are some free witch craft spells and hope you enjoy reading them and or casting them all or even some of them.

Lovers Spell: Write on parchment paper( or if you do not have this, then use white no lined paper) and write down the one you wish to woo and love you. Take a bottle of wine and pour forth onto the ground and as well, into your silver or whatever kind of chalice you prefer to use, and drink some of the wine. You must be 21 and over to buy alcohol so ask a parent that maybe a witch or into wiccan religion before engaging in a drink or sip of wine. You can also carve your intitals and the one you love onto a pink, peach or red candle. Red symbols love and pink symbols lust and love, either one is fine to use. If you do not have these colored candles, a white one will do nicely, just be sure you carve his/her initials or full name, if you know his or her full and middle and last name onto the candle you have selected. Always thank the deity after any and all spell(s) have been cast.

Here is another love spell, for lovers to stay together and not stray. You can buy effigy candles, that represent the person you desire, in red or pink preferrably, and then light your candles. Do use two candles, one to represent yourself and the one you wish to love you or fall in love with you and' Stay in love' with you, as this spells works both ways. Do have your pen ready and write his or her name on it, and yours too. Now..bury it ( the parchment paper) by an old tree as old trees have much wisdom and knowledge and then leave it be. Do not even tread on this particular area again. You can repeat this spell over and over again, until you feel it is right in your heart for you, and that he or she will come to you.

Know about full moons, full moons, are an excellent time to cast magick spells and the hrs. of midnight to 2 a.m. are the bewitching hrs. and are the best time to cast any and all spells whether they be black magick, or voodoo spells, or wiccan and pagan or grey magick(which is in betweeen dark and white magick). Have fun casting all your spells, and you may prefer or wish to cast spells with loved ones or family members or even a friend or two. Remember, the more people that cast the spell or spells, will insure that your magick will work for you!

I have been practicing witchcraft for a long time and I used to be in coven of white witches. I enjoyed attending their meetings but one day, they decided that it would be best to not have me or my uncle invited as they thought we wore santanic witches and WE are not!

Well, I am more of the solitaire witch myself anyways.

Here is a get rich spell or money spell: Take a green pillar or gold pillar or thick green or gold or even silver candle if you have them or one, out of your desk, or drawer or buy one and you can go to consignment stores and purchase them for pennies. So carve your name, your complete name and date of birth(D.O.B.) onto the candle and ask the deity of your choice and you may say something such as this, for e.g. "Isis, please send money my way and stay dear to my heart and home, always watch over me I pray." You may make up anything you wish too.

Also here is another money spells, you may take coins, silver or gold coins and put into a glass jar or anything will do as long as it is glass, and put on an altar or make an altar with figurines and you can use fairy statues and or figurines and place the coins that are now in the glass at the altar and ask a deity such as Aphrodite or Isis or Thor even for material wealth and good health as well. After you allow your candle or candles to burn for some time, then blow them out. Always put your candles out after each and every spell.

Here is one more spell, and it is a healing spell. The person(s) that are ill, you tell them to lay down on a matt or rug and then you use blue and lavender candles, or white if blue and lavender ones you do not have. Then you carve the person or persons name into the candles and lite them well. You may recite a spell you heard of or say something like on this order. "Lord and Lady alike, please heal my friend, name you will say next, or names and please come to their need to be healed." Allow the candles to burn for 15 mintues, and then take all the candles and place in a box and put under the ill persons' bed and light this procedure again for 11 straight days. If you need more candles, do buy them or order them off the net. There are many companies that sale candles and witches ingredients. You can also use a parchment paper and write the ill or sick friends name down and bury it outside, in the woods or near water even.

Well..I hope some of my spells helps you or a friend(s) out and do remember, whatever you cast, even if it is for bad luck, can and will find its' way to your front door, and you want to insure a person(s) has wronged you before casting wicked witch spells. I prefer to cast Wiccan Magick myself as I personally feel it is the best magick to cast. Just enjoy casting your magick and decide what god or goddess you wish to chose from to thank, and always thank this god or goddesses after you cast those spells!

Romanian witches curse latest government clampdownhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/08/romanian-witches-government-clampdown8 February 2011 13.16 GMT

Fortune teller Romania's witches and fortune tellers could face a spell in prison if their predictions do not come true. Photograph: Alamy

There's more bad news in the cards for Romania's beleaguered witches. A month after authorities began taxing them for their trade, the country's soothsayers are cursing a new bill that threatens fines or even prison if their predictions do not come true.

The witches say they should not be blamed for the failure of their tools. "They can't condemn witches, they should condemn the cards," said Queen witch Bratara Buzea.

Superstition is a serious matter in the land of Dracula, and officials have turned to witches to help the recession-hit country collect more money and crack down on tax evasion.

In January officials changed labour laws to officially recognise the centuries-old practice as a taxable profession, prompting angry witches to dump poisonous mandrake into the Danube in an attempt to put a hex on the government.

The new draft bill, passed in the Senate last week, must be approved by a financial and labour committee and the Chamber of Deputies, the other house of parliament.

Bratara called the proposed bill overblown. "I will fight until my last breath for this not to be passed," she said.

She added that members of the public who visit witches for predictions do not provide their real identities, date of birth or other personal details, which could skew a seer's results. "What about when the client gives false details about themselves? Surely we can't be blamed for that," she said.

The bill would also require witches to have a permit, to provide their customers with receipts and bar them from practising near schools and churches.

Somali Islamists want to do ransom deals on board2.28.11http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/somali-islamists-want-to-do-ransom-deals-on-board/

MOGADISHU, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Somali Islamist [pls say Al-Shabaab, RT] rebels have demanded their fighters be allowed to board hijacked vessels anchored off the coastal town of Haradheere to monitor the payment and division of ransoms, escalating risks to hostages.Islamists clamped down hard on piracy when they briefly ran much of Somalia in 2006, but with ransoms rising they now want a share of its earnings.Hardline Islamist militants have surrounded the pirate base [in the coastal town of Haradheere] to pressure gang leaders and their investors into accepting the order, pirates and residents said on Monday, after a number tried to sail ships up the coast. If rebels are allowed to board the vessels, hostages risk becoming stuck in the middle of dangerous rows or, worse, being kidnapped by al Shabaab rebels, who claim ties with al Qaeda.Shipowners fear any proven link between pirates and Islamist fighters will make it legally difficult to pay ransoms without running foul of counter-terrorism legislation.Pirates in Haradheere agreed last week to hand al Shabaab insurgents a 20 percent cut of ransoms but a deep distrust prevails between the two sides. [ID:nLDE71L030]"They demanded we allow six of their fighters to board each of our hijacked ships. We have not left our houses since Wednesday. Worse, we are constantly receiving threatening text messages," he said, adding negotiations had begun again.Owners of hijacked vessels usually air-drop cash onto the boats and then the pirates disembark.Despite a flotilla of international warships patrolling the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, pirates continue to rake in tens of millions of dollars in ransoms each year.Al Shabaab set up an office in Haradheere after last week's deal.

"Negotiations are going on and again I reckon the pirates have no other option but to accept al Shabaab's order," said local elder Ahmed Wardheere, who was involved in negotiations over splitting the ransom. MAGIC POWERS Pirates typically target merchant vessels, with oil tankers considered the prize catch, and yachts to get a ransom for their release. But foreign navies have become bolder in launching rescue missions.As the number of Somali pirates killed by foreign troops on the high seas rises, so too does their hostility towards hijacked crew. Pirates shot dead four U.S. hostages on a yacht, earlier this month, the deadliest incident involving Americans kidnapped for ransom in the increasingly dangerous waters off the Horn of Africa nation. U.S.-forces killed a number of pirates. [ID:nN22279849]One pirate said his colleagues were turning to black magic to counter the mounting perils."Some of my colleagues have two sorcerers in Haradheere and Galkayo. These two are expert in explaining the outcome of future hijackings or pending navy attacks by using 'Faal'", a pirate called Hussein said, referring to a local magic where the future is told through markings drawn in the soil.A sorcerer can earn thousands of dollars and be showered with luxury 4x4 vehicles for accurate predictions that yield a booty for the pirates.The black magic has upset local residents amid rumours the sorcerers are instructing the pirates to sacrifice young children and older women after their comrades died in the shoot-out with U.S. troops. "I ran away from the pirates after they killed three men in Hobyo. I heard the next step was to assassinate women who had been through menopause like me," 60-year-old Fatuma Rashid told Reuters by phone from Galkayo."And when I arrived in Galkayo, I met mothers worried about their babies. They say they were being hunted by pirates who now believe human killings may be more powerful than slaughtering wild animals."Pirate Hussein said the sorcerers only request the sacrifice of a rabbit or crocodile to avert death on the ocean. (Editing by Louise Ireland and Richard Lough)

Ghana Cocoa Board Says Its Concerned Over Use of `Anointing Oil' on Treeshttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-04/ghana-cocoa-board-says-its-concerned-over-use-of-anointing-oil-on-trees.htmlBy Jason McLure and Moses Mozart Dzawu - Mar 4, 2011 11:14 AM CT

The cocoa-industry regulator in Ghana, the world’s second-biggest grower of the chocolate ingredient, said it is concerned that “unscrupulous persons” are encouraging farmers to spray “anointing oil” on their crop to boost yields.

“These persons who claim to be ‘prophets’ and ‘pastors’ are using local FM stations and information centers in the cocoa-growing areas to misinform our hardworking cocoa farmers,” the Ghana Cocoa Board said

Ahmadinejad allies charged with sorceryhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/05/ahmadinejad-allies-charged-with-sorceryThursday 5 May 2011 19.23 BST

Close allies of Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have been accused of using supernatural powers to further his policies amid an increasingly bitter power struggle between him and the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Several people said to be close to the president and his chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, have been arrested in recent days and charged with being "magicians" and invoking djinns (spirits).

Ayandeh, an Iranian news website, described one of the arrested men, Abbas Ghaffari, as "a man with special skills in metaphysics and connections with the unknown worlds".

The arrests come amid a growing rift between Ahmadinejad and Khamenei which has prompted several MPs to call for the president to be impeached.

On Sunday, Ahmadinejad returned to his office after an 11-day walkout in an apparent protest over Khamenei's reinstatement of the intelligence minister, who the president had initiallyasked to resign.

Ahmadinejad's unprecedented disobedience prompted harsh criticism from conservatives who warned that he might face the fate of Abdulhassan Banisadr, Iran's first post-revolution president who was impeached and exiled for allegedly attempting to undermine clerical power.

Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, a hardline cleric close to Khamenei, warned that disobeying the supreme leader – who has the ultimate power in Iran – is equivalent to "apostasy from God".

Ahmadinejad has so far declined to officially back Khamenei's ruling over Heydar Moslehi, the minister at the centre of the row. In the first cabinet meeting since the president returned, Moslehi was absent.

Khamenei's supporters believe that the top-level confrontation stems from the increasing influence of Mashaei, an opponent of greater involvement of clerics in politics, who is being groomed by Ahmadinejad as a possible successor.

But the feud has taken a metaphysical turn following the release of an Iranian documentary alleging the imminent return of the Hidden Imam Mahdi – the revered saviour of Shia Islam, whose reappearance is anticipated by believers in a manner comparable to that with which Christian fundamentalists anticipate the second coming of Jesus.

Conservative clerics, who say that the Mahdi's return cannot be predicted, have accused a "deviant current" within the president's inner circle, including Mashaei, of being responsible for the film.

Ahmadinejad's obsession with the hidden imam is well known. He often refers to him in his speeches and in 2009 said that he had documentary evidence that the US was trying to prevent Mahdi's return.

Since Ahmadinejad's return this week, at least 25 people, who are believed to be close to Mashaei, have been arrested. Among them is Abbas Amirifar, head of the government's cultural committee and some journalists of Mashaei's recently launched newspaper, Haft-e-Sobh.

On Saturday, Mojtaba Zolnour, Khamenei's deputy representative in the powerful Revolutionary Guard, said: "Today Mashaei is the actual president. Mr Ahmadinejad has held on to a decaying rope by relying on Mashaei."

Male genitalia tops witchcraft listhttp://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/male-genitalia-tops-witchcraft-list-1.1065078

May 6 2011 at 08:14am

Male genitalia are the most sought-after human body part for use in harmful traditional practices, including witchcraft, in South Africa and Mozambique.

This is according to a research report released by the Mozambican Human Rights League in partnership with Childline South Africa in Durban on Thursday.

The study also found South Africa had created a market for body parts trafficked from Mozambique.

The research showed that at least one mutilation occurred in both countries every two weeks during the 14 months of the study between 2008 and 2010.

Male and female genitalia, tongues, ears, heads and breasts were among the body parts that topped the list of those most sought after in the two countries.

According to the research project’s manager, Simon Fellows, the vast majority of mutilations, 89 percent, took place in Mozambique. However, 75 percent of the parts removed from a body ended up in South Africa.

Fellows said this indicated that South Africa was on the receiving end, while Mozambique was the supplier of human body parts.

The research concluded that body parts were trafficked regularly and organs often taken from victims while they were alive or directly after they had been murdered.

Fellows said the project hosted 59 workshops and worked with 48 focus groups. About 327 people were interviewed and the workshops were attended by 1 949.

He said many participants in the research believed the body parts were to be sold or used for activities relating to witchcraft, muti (medicine) or harmful traditional practices.

“The belief was that the use of body parts in muti was to create powerful traditional medicine based partly on human body parts,” said Fellows.

Traditional healer Bongani Shangase, speaking at the launch of the report, said he and other traditional healers did not dispute the findings, but they did not agree with statements that traditional healers used body parts.

“We want this research to differentiate between witches and traditional healers because we do not use body parts to carry out our calling. Witches do that,” he said.

Other traditional healers criticised the study, saying it painted them in a bad light and asking for more conclusive research to be done so people could understand how traditional healers worked. - The Mercury

Karachi: Rangers’ without special powersLast Updated On 19 April,2011 About 2 weeks agohttp://www.dunyanews.tv/index.php?key=Q2F0SUQ9MiNOaWQ9MjQzMTk=

Sindh government had awarded special powers to Pakistan Rangers s to quell violence from the city.

Sindh government have awarded Rangers with special powers of police under which they were entitled to conduct raids, detain and interrogate suspects at their. The powers had been awarded for 90 days, which end today and the home department has not issued a notification regarding the extension.

Ivory Coast's Gbagbo held after French troops move inMon Apr 11, 2011 5:07pm GMThttp://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE73A0LH20110411?sp=true

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo was arrested by opposition forces on Monday after French troops closed in on the compound where the self-proclaimed president had been holed up in a bunker for the past week.

A column of more than 30 French armoured vehicles moved in on Gbagbo's residence in Abidjan after helicopter gunships attacked the compound overnight to end a drawn-out political standoff that had descended into civil war.

Gbagbo refused to step down when Alassane Ouattara won November's presidential election, according to results certified by the United Nations, reigniting violence that has claimed more than a thousand lives and uprooted a million people.

"Yes, he has been arrested," Affoussy Bamba, a spokeswoman for Ouattara, told Reuters. Gbagbo's spokesman, Ahoua Don Mello, said: "President Laurent Gbagbo came out of his bunker and surrendered to the French without offering resistance."

Gbagbo's arrest marked the end of his 10 years in power in the world's leading cocoa-growing nation, but while Ouattara will assume the presidency has claimed for the last four months after a disputed election, he will still have to confront longstanding ethnic divisions, years of economic stagnation and a worsening humanitarian crisis.

French officials said Gbagbo had been arrested by Ouattara's forces backed by the United Nations and the French military. They said French forces had not carried out the arrest.

"Just after 3 o'clock, the ex-president Laurent Gbagbo handed himself over to the Republican Forces of Ivory Coast. At no moment did French forces enter either the garden or the residence of Gbagbo," French armed forces spokesman Thierry Burkhard said.

However, his arrest seems unlikely to draw a line under the conflict.

"This is just the start of the crisis. The role of French forces undermines Ouattara's credibility," said Kwesi Aning, head of research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre in Accra.

"There may be a lull for a couple of months but certainly there will be attacks to try to reverse this defeat."

Gbagbo was taken to the Hotel Golf in Abidjan, where his rival has his headquarters.

Ouattara's TCI television station showed Gbagbo in a room at the Golf, with Ouattara's forces standing near him. Wearing a white vest, he looked in good health but submissive. He was given a towel and a clean brightly coloured green shirt, which he put on in front of the camera.

Gbagbo's wife Simone, said by many Ivorians to possess the powers of witchcraft, was with him at the hotel.

U.N. peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said the head of Gbagbo's forces had called to say that he was ready to lay down his weapons.

"The nightmare has ended," Ouattara's Prime Minister Guillaume Soro said, while Ouattara's ambassador to the United Nations said Gbagbo would be "brought to justice".

Shortly after the news broke of Gbagbo's arrest, Nicolas Sarkozy's office said the French president had just had a long telephone conversation with Ouattara.

CHEERING YOUTHS

In Abidjan's Banco neighbourhood, about 50 cheering youths celebrated the news of Gbagbo's arrest.

"Let's hope the country can find peace and stability. I'm very happy," said Jean Desire Aitcheou.

"A big thank you to France for having liberated us," said Fidi Ouattara (no relation to the presidential claimant).

Earlier on Monday, residents reported heavy fighting between forces loyal to Ouattara and those backing Gbagbo around Abidjan's Cocody and Plateau districts.

Hundreds of fresh pro-Ouattara troops massed at a base camp just north of Abidjan, where a small bus arrived, filled with new Kalashnikov rifles still in their transparent blue wrappers.

The French armoured vehicles left their base in the south and headed towards downtown Abidjan early on Monday.

"Armed and ready for combat," the commanding officer ordered. The men cocked their weapons ready to fire as the vehicles rolled out of the base.

France, the former colonial power in Ivory Coast with more than 1,600 troops in the country, took a lead role in efforts to persuade Gbagbo to relinquish power, infuriating his supporters who accuse Paris of neo-colonialism.

Some Gbagbo supporters around Cocody district, where his residence is located, tried to halt the French armoured vehicles, kneeling in front of them praying, but were quickly dispersed when another round of firing began.

A resident said he saw 15 pro-Gbagbo soldiers surrender their weapons and battle fatigues to the French soldiers. A French army source later said more than 100 members of the pro-Gbagbo army had surrendered their weapons.

The arrest of Gbagbo and the lifting of European Union sanctions on the two main ports in the world's top cocoa-producing nation mean cocoa exports may be possible by next week.

Cocoa prices, which had earlier risen sharply on reports of fighting, fell back when Gbagbo's arrest was announced.

Ivory Coast's $2.3 billion bond rallied more than half a point on Monday, reversing earlier 3-point losses, after Gbagbo was arrested.

Helicopter attacks a week ago on Gbagbo's heavy weapons by the United Nations and France appeared to bring Gbagbo's forces to the point of surrender, but they used a lull in fighting to regroup before taking more ground in Abidjan.

Ouattara's forces swept from the north to coastal Abidjan almost unopposed more than a week ago in a drive to install their leader as president.

Gbagbo's defeat had appeared imminent last week and talks took place between the two sides. But Gbagbo's soldiers dug in, holding on to swathes of the city and frustrating hopes of a swift end to the conflict.

Even now, Ouattara's ability to unify the West African country may be undermined by reports of atrocities against civilians since his forces charged into Abidjan. Ouattara's camp has denied involvement.

Human Rights Watch said on Saturday that forces loyal to Ouattara had killed hundreds of civilians, raped more than 20 women and girls perceived as belonging to Gbagbo's camp and burned at least 10 villages in western Ivory Coast.

Those loyal Gbagbo, in turn, killed more than 100 alleged supporters of Ouattara in March.

Wiccan woman claims the TSA fired her for being a witch after colleague accused her of casting a spell on herLast updated at 8:00 PM on 28th March 2011http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1370888/Wiccan-woman-claims-TSA-fired-witch-colleague-accused-casting-spell-her.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

A Wiccan TSA employee claims to have been harassed and fired from her job because of her religion.

Carole Smith was one of the best at finding weapons in luggage at New York's Albany International Airport but despite this she was fired after a series of incidents starting with a complaint from a co-worker that Miss Smith had cast a spell on her.

Though she was still on probation, having only worked at the airport seven months, before the complaint she only had minor disciplinary actions, for forgetting her name tag, staying too long on a break and being a few minutes too late.

Scroll down for video report

Witchcraft: Carole Smith, a Wiccan, was fired after a complaint was made against her that she cast spells on her colleagues

In March 2009, the TSA assistant director told her he was investigating a threat of workplace violence.

He said that her former mentor, Mary Bagnoli, reported she was afraid of Smith because she practised witchcraft.

She accused Miss Smith of following her on the highway one evening after work and casting a spell on the heater of her car, causing it not to work, though she later admitted she had not actually seen Miss Smith's car.

Miss Smith told MSNBC she was shocked at the allegation, and said she told her boss: 'I said, that's not what Wicca is. We don't cast spells. That's not witchcraft. That's black magic or voodoo or something else.

'To put a spell on a heater of a car, if I had that kind of power, I wouldn't be working for TSA. I would go buy lottery tickets and put a spell on the balls.'

Miss Smith said she is proud to be a witch and a practitioner of Wicca, the pagan religion, but said they do not cast spells or anything like what she is being accused of.

She said: 'My religion is very nature oriented and actually has a lot of similarities with native American culture. You don't try to harm anyone else. It's not spell-casting.

'It's putting something out there in the universe that you desire, and if the time is right, and your heart is pure, and it's right for you, you may get it.'

Tools: Miss Smith said she has a crystal ball, two black cats and a broom but she does not cast spells on people or have the ability to make things happen

Good humour: Miss Smith said she likes to poke fun at herself and the fact she is a witch and says that Wicked is her favourite musical

Miss Smith said she has never minded a bit of good-natured ribbing about witches and comes to expect it, even poking fun at herself with her black cats, love of Wicked the musical and her broom, which she said is just for show.

The assistant director of TSA at Albany Airport, Matthew W. Lloyd, testified later that he realized immediately there was no genuine threat of workplace violence.

Miss Smith hadn't followed anyone home — that's the only highway going toward her home from the airport. It was just a personality conflict made worse by fear of an unfamiliar religion.

He suggested that the employee go into a formal mediation session with her accuser and educate her on her religion to dispel any misconceptions.

But Miss Smith refused.

She said: 'It's not up to me to teach her my religion. I mean would I have to do that if I was Jewish or a Catholic?'

WHAT IS WICCA?Wicca was developed in England in the first half of the 20th Century.

It is a neopagan religion and a form of modern witchcraft though they are not the same.

It generally teaches that the individual controls their own destiny and does not teach the need for intercession between the practitioner and the fulfilment of their will.

Some Christians have asserted that Wicca is a form of Satanism but there is no Satan-like figure in the religion.

Wicca honours the Divine in the forms of the Triple Goddess, whose aspects of Virgin, Mother, and Wise Woman or Crone are associated with the waxing, full and waning phases of the Moon.

Due to the negative connotations associated with it, many Wiccans keep their faith a secret for fear of persecution.

At the hearing Mr Lloyd admitted that he would not expect a Jewish person to do that in the same circumstances and that he actually did not know that Wiccan was a recognised religion.

Miss Smith claims it was after the complaint that the harassment started.

She said other employees started asking where her broom was parked, asked her why she didn't wear her pointy hat and accused her of casting spells on them.

As well as that, she said any time she asked someone to come and check on a bag she believed to contain weapons or any other suspicious device, no one ever came and when they did she had to demand they follow up on her concerns.

She said: 'If I called for bag checks on the X-ray, no one would come and do them. I was treated like I was not even there sometimes.

'It was very demeaning. I was constantly walking on eggshells and checking my back.'

She said another employee yelled at her in a baggage room, in front of other employees and a supervisor saying: 'Get her the hell out of here! I can't stand to look at her!'

A co-worker advised her to transfer to another airport.

Miss Smith said things became so bad she also reported the harassment to a TSA ombudsman.

The ombudsman already knew of Miss Smith as she had filed a complaint about Ms Bagnoli in December 2008 saying she was being verbally harassed and did not feel safe at work.

She also filed complaints about what she seen as breaches of security at the airport that she thought posed a threat to the public.

She said: 'Between the metal detector and the X-Ray machine there is a gate that my supervisor constantly left open, even after I made the complaint.'

But that only led to more harassment from co-workers.

Security risk: Miss Smith said the gate between the X-Ray machine and the metal detector at Albany International airport was constantly left open

Immediately after the complaint about casting spells, Miss Smith's personnel file started to bulge with disciplinary actions.

A training coordinator wrote her up for having a negative attitude. A supervisor warned her for not properly checking a boarding pass. She was eight minutes late to work.

She was accused of insubordinate behaviour for yelling at supervisors when they told her she'd have to work a 16-hour shift because she was the only woman on duty to pat down female passengers.

Miss Smith filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint, claiming discrimination based on religion, reprisal for contacting the ombudsman and disability for an ankle she hurt on the job, and emotional stress caused by harassment.

The administrative judge ruled against her in December, even though the TSA officials who testified changed their stories repeatedly.

The judge also came down heavy on Mr Lloyd's handling of the initial spell-casting complaint.

But he eventually ruled that her failure to mention her spiritual beliefs made it impossible for her to claim that management failed to act on a claim of religious harassment.

He noted that her termination letter included the TSA's reaction to the religiously based allegation about casting spells, but then he didn't put any weight on that fact in his analysis.

She wants her job back, assignment to a different airport and back pay, along with the bonuses she earned for being a good discoverer of weapons.

Cheryl Scott-Johnson argued on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the TSA: 'There was no discrimination here based on Ms Smith's religion. Ms. Smith was removed during her probationary period because of conduct, behaviour and her performance.

'It's like almost every person, almost all the supervisors, had problems with Ms Smith. She just assumes, or concludes, that it all had to do with her religion. In fact, as brought out in the testimony, she started having problems before anybody even knew she was Wicca.'

TSA officials were not willing to comment on the story because an appeal is under way.

Warlock allowed to break curfew for full moonhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8374231/Warlock-allowed-to-break-curfew-for-full-moon.html4:04PM GMT 10 Mar 2011

A male witch who worshipped nature was put under an overnight curfew for carrying a knife he claimed was for religious purposes but will be allowed out when there's a full moon.

Cerwyn Jones, 52, of Llangollen, North Wales, told police that he supported witchcraft as a religion and was a warlock of the Wicca faith when arrested at a Bala pub on February 4.

Julie Hughes, prosecuting at Dolgellau magistrates court, said police had been informed that Jones had the knife in his possession.

He had been visiting his ex-wife in Bala and there were fears that he would use the knife to self harm or injure others, she said.

Police found Jones having a soft drink at the Ship public house at Bala. He was told that he was to be searched and the knife was found in a sheath in an inside pocket.

The defendant co-operated with the police and told them that the knife was only used in religious ceremonies in connection with witchcraft, said the prosecutor.

Somali Islamists want to do ransom deals on boardhttp://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/somali-islamists-want-to-do-ransom-deals-on-board/

2.28.11

MOGADISHU, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Somali Islamist [pls say Al-Shabaab, RT] rebels have demanded their fighters be allowed to board hijacked vessels anchored off the coastal town of Haradheere to monitor the payment and division of ransoms, escalating risks to hostages.

Islamists clamped down hard on piracy when they briefly ran much of Somalia in 2006, but with ransoms rising they now want a share of its earnings.Hardline Islamist militants have surrounded the pirate base [in the coastal town of Haradheere] to pressure gang leaders and their investors into accepting the order, pirates and residents said on Monday, after a number tried to sail ships up the coast. If rebels are allowed to board the vessels, hostages risk becoming stuck in the middle of dangerous rows or, worse, being kidnapped by al Shabaab rebels, who claim ties with al Qaeda.Shipowners fear any proven link between pirates and Islamist fighters will make it legally difficult to pay ransoms without running foul of counter-terrorism legislation.Pirates in Haradheere agreed last week to hand al Shabaab insurgents a 20 percent cut of ransoms but a deep distrust prevails between the two sides. [ID:nLDE71L030]"They demanded we allow six of their fighters to board each of our hijacked ships. We have not left our houses since Wednesday. Worse, we are constantly receiving threatening text messages," he said, adding negotiations had begun again.Owners of hijacked vessels usually air-drop cash onto the boats and then the pirates disembark.Despite a flotilla of international warships patrolling the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, pirates continue to rake in tens of millions of dollars in ransoms each year.Al Shabaab set up an office in Haradheere after last week's deal."Negotiations are going on and again I reckon the pirates have no other option but to accept al Shabaab's order," said local elder Ahmed Wardheere, who was involved in negotiations over splitting the ransom. MAGIC POWERS Pirates typically target merchant vessels, with oil tankers considered the prize catch, and yachts to get a ransom for their release. But foreign navies have become bolder in launching rescue missions.As the number of Somali pirates killed by foreign troops on the high seas rises, so too does their hostility towards hijacked crew. Pirates shot dead four U.S. hostages on a yacht, earlier this month, the deadliest incident involving Americans kidnapped for ransom in the increasingly dangerous waters off the Horn of Africa nation. U.S.-forces killed a number of pirates. [ID:nN22279849]One pirate said his colleagues were turning to black magic to counter the mounting perils."Some of my colleagues have two sorcerers in Haradheere and Galkayo. These two are expert in explaining the outcome of future hijackings or pending navy attacks by using 'Faal'", a pirate called Hussein said, referring to a local magic where the future is told through markings drawn in the soil.A sorcerer can earn thousands of dollars and be showered with luxury 4x4 vehicles for accurate predictions that yield a booty for the pirates.The black magic has upset local residents amid rumours the sorcerers are instructing the pirates to sacrifice young children and older women after their comrades died in the shoot-out with U.S. troops. "I ran away from the pirates after they killed three men in Hobyo. I heard the next step was to assassinate women who had been through menopause like me," 60-year-old Fatuma Rashid told Reuters by phone from Galkayo."And when I arrived in Galkayo, I met mothers worried about their babies. They say they were being hunted by pirates who now believe human killings may be more powerful than slaughtering wild animals."Pirate Hussein said the sorcerers only request the sacrifice of a rabbit or crocodile to avert death on the ocean. (Editing by Louise Ireland and Richard Lough)

Witchcraft, money cloning crime down in Dubai

http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/witchcraft-money-cloning-crime-down-in-dubai-2011-02-17-1.357512Published Thursday, February 17, 2011

Crimes involving money multiplication and other acts of witchcraft dropped to 121 in 2010 from 135 in 2009 and police attributed the decline to better public awareness.

Last year’s crimes involved 25 money cloning cases, 11 acts of sorcery and 85 other deception incidents, Albayan newspaper said, quoting Major Salah Busaibah, director of the anti-economic crime section at Dubai’s criminal investigation Department.

In 2009, they included 49 money multiplication crimes and the rest involved other sorcery and deception cases.

“There was a decline in such cases mainly because of increased public awareness…many people now realize these things are just acts of deception and started to report them to the police.”

Colonel Gaddafi using "African magic" to prolong his reign –Libyan rebel officer01/07/2011By Amro Ahmedhttp://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=25730

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Libyan rebel officer, Colonel Saleh Mansour al-Obeidi, who defected from the Gaddafi regime to join the Libyan rebels based in Benghazi, informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has resorted to using "magic" in an attempt to confront the rebels and prolong his reign.

Colonel al-Obeidi told Asharq Al-Awsat that Gaddafi is utilizing "African magicians" from Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Gambia, and Morocco to help him overcome the rebels. The rebel Colonel claimed that "African magicians" were even being deployed by Gaddafi on the battlefield to provide his soldiers with "magical talismans" that ensure loyalty to the Libyan leader, in an attempt to counteract the wide-spread defection from his military forces. Calling into question the Libyan leader's psychological state, al-Obeidi said that Gaddafi considered "magic" to be like a secondary intelligence apparatus, allowing him to spy on Libyan officials and leaders.

Libyan rebel Colonel Saleh al-Obeidi, who claims to be among the first military figures to have defected from the Gaddafi regime, told Asharq Al-Awsat that "one of Gaddafi's closest aides told me that he was utilizing a Gambian witch who was using magical talisman's and voodoo to prolong his life, and ensure that he is not injured by any rebel or NATO attack." He added that "this witch has provided Gaddafi with a magical talisman which he wears on his cloak so that he is not hit by bullets or hurt in an explosion…and this is why we always see him wearing this cloak. Even when it is extremely hot, he never takes it off!"

Colonel al-Obeidi added that "if we look at pictures of Gaddafi, we can see that he wears a silver ring, and this ring was made of hyena bone, which a significant animal to magicians. This ring was given to Gaddafi by a Mauritanian magician to inspire fear in anybody that deals or meets with him. Somebody close to me said that when he went to meet Gaddafi…he felt as if he had seen a demon. He told me that

he began to recite the Quran under his breath [to ward off evil], when Gaddafi told him 'why are you reciting the Quran as if you are entreating with a demon?' and he [Gaddafi] kicked him out." Al-Obeidi claimed that "African witches" are not only kept close to Gaddafi to protect him, but are also being sent out to the battlefield to exert "magical" influence upon Gaddafi's own soldiers, as well as to limit the progress of the rebels.

Al-Obeidi also claimed that some pro-Gaddafi fighters captured by the rebels had been magically enchanted, and could only say "God…Muammar…Libya" and nothing more. He added "we were perplexed by what was happening, but after we left them for two days and brought sheikhs to lift the magic, they would say 'where am I?' and 'how did I get here?' as if they were not aware of what they were doing, and this is because they were under the influence of Gaddafi's magicians."

Al-Obeidi also told Asharq Al-Awsat that Gaddafi is using magic to extend his own life, as well as to strengthen his grip on power. He added that Gaddafi is always accompanied by a number of "magicians" who enter the room before him, sprinkling water and muttering magical incantations, to cleanse the room prior to his arrival, stressing that such behavior "is not in line with Islamic Sharia law."