Witchcraft and exorcism as therapy in Algeria

2007-11-09

The phenomenon of faith healing known as roquia enjoys a large and growing following in Algeria, despite recent deaths linked to the practice.

By Nazim Fethi for Magharebia in Algiers – 09/11/07

[Getty Images] Raquis practice rituals used for purposes ranging from curing headaches to relieving a soul from demonic possession

The phenomenon of exorcism is a growing force in Algerian society, with many seeking aid from spiritual healers when traditional medicine is unavailable or unaffordable.

Such healers – known as raquis – practice roquia, or rituals used for purposes ranging from curing headaches to relieving a soul from demonic possession. The treatments centre on the recitation of specific Qur'anic verses over a container of water; which is then either given to the afflicted person to drink or applied directly to the affected area. Roquia has become a highly respected therapy among some Algerians.

In the case of people possessed by djinn or under curses, some raquis resort to magic and witchcraft. Such practices include hypnotising the patient, invoking God and watching to see whether the patient’s left hand moves, to confirm that they are haunted by a djinni. If necessary, the healer touches the hand to ascertain exactly which part of the body is haunted.

These methods are not universally approved by those practising roquia. Some feel that the inclusion of djinn or magic is wrong, particularly where the patients say they have fallen victim to a talisman, curse or evil eye.

In addition to numerous imams who have converted to this practice, a great many laypeople have established themselves as raquis in a society where the respect shown for religious authority and traditions is sometimes boundless. So it is that thousands of people meet every day on Internet forums to exchange experiences or offer their services.

In Islam, roquia as practised in the days of the prophet Mohammed could be performed by the afflicted person or those around them, without need of an intermediary, by simply following the time-honoured procedures and reciting particular verses from the Qur’an over water.

Religious authorities have nothing against roquia as recommended in the Qur'an; it is merely the excesses they dislike. For Abdelkader Reguig, imam in the Great Emir Abdelkader mosque in Constantine, east of Algiers, roquia should not be considered an alternative to medical treatment for illnesses. The imam rails against the gullibility of people who put their lives in the hands of charlatans resorting to witchcraft.

Last year east of Algiers, a youth and his sister, aged 18 and 17, died under the powerless and fatalistic gaze of their mother and grandmother after drinking 60-litre jerry cans full of water. "They were possessed; the treatment the doctor had described had done nothing, so I thought I was doing the right thing calling in a raqui. It was my faith in God that compelled me to do it," the mother explained.

Algerian authorities have also given warnings. "The dysfunction is not in the principle of roquia, but in the avarice and greed of the self-proclaimed raquis. Treatment using the holy words of the Qur'an is intended to give a certain calmness and serenity to troubled souls, but in no case can it replace medical treatment," said Madjid Tamine, spokesman for the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

"Our department published a fatwa in April 2006, banning the practice of roquia in mosques and attached buildings, as well as in public places," Tamine said.

Ignorance “encourages the spread of this charlatanism," he said, adding, "Our job is to raise awareness and inform people."

Why do so many Algerians place themselves into the hands of charlatans? "Supply and demand," replied Mouna Boudjemâa, a psychiatrist at the Mustapha Bacha hospital in Algiers. "Everyone needs to believe in something to live," she said. "People visiting a raqui believe in healing through the Qur'an or mystical forces. In the search for healing, the afflicted person falls back on magical, childish and archaic thinking; these people are looking for magic through the religious text."

"Some raquis exploit the distress and weakness of these people to get rich," Boudjemâa concluded. "They do much better when their turning to irrational actions pushes their families to call upon them."

In the case of Mohamed, a young man being treated for nervous depression at the psychiatric ward in Mustapha Bacha hospital, two years of treatment yielded insufficient results. His family felt that, given a lack of improvement, they should consult a raqui, who quickly made his diagnosis: possession by an evil spirit. The recommended treatment to dislodge the "demon" consisted of striking Mohamed, who ultimately died from injuries. The raqui was sentenced to five years in prison for involuntary homicide.

The government's warnings have had little impact on those who practise this new therapy, as numbers of clients appears to be increasing.

In certain cities like Oran, children can be found selling water for self-medication. Whether it is for possession, forced celibacy, the evil eye or even unemployment, hawkers boast that every afflicted person can find their cure in these magical waters.