It's hard to believe that in this day and age, countless women around the world are being accused of something that sounds pretty medieval. According to the UN, women accused of being witches are persecuted and sometimes murdered around the world. Even children thought to be witches are being targeted, too. The UN estimates that this violence is impacting the lives of millions of people.
So where is this unbelievable violence taking place? It's happening in places from South Africa, to India, Nepal, and Papua New Guinea. In Nigeria, homeless children are driven out of towns because they are suspected of witchcraft. While different cultures hold diverse beliefs about witchcraft, UN experts believe that those suspected of having "supernatural" powers are typically targeted when a society faces rapid cultural or social change. In these cases, the vulnerable get the blame for the community's misfortunes.
Violence associated with witchcraft caught the attention of the UN because it's causing an international refugee problem. In addition to being victims of violence, the accused are often forcibly displaced or trafficked. Let's hope now that the widespread witch-hunting has gained international attention, something will be done to help these people.
House of Fraser
3.1 Phillip Lim
Selected
You'd think this would have ended hundreds of years ago.
1News like this makes me sick. When are people going to stop living in the past and move on?! These people need to understand that Wicca is not some kind of devil worshipping. Maybe if they spent more time reading up on it and less time targeting these people, they would know that.
2I really don't think they're talking about Wicca.
3My boyfriend mentioned a story about this and I was surprised that it was such a recent item. I had no idea.
Juicebox, did you read the article? It's not Wicca. They're just reaching for scapegoats.
4It has nothing to do with being Wiccan. Societies often have this kind of thing happen during a time where this a lack of ability to understand why certain things (usually bad things) have been happening. It makes things easier to accept when you have someone or something concrete to blame. For hundreds and hundreds (thousands, really) of years most of the world believed in witches and demons (yes, even the US and Europe...especially the US and Europe).
5My mom is from the Dominican Republic and she believes that my grams (her mother in law) is a witch or at the very least a wicked person...no seriously!
Aside from any misunderstandings between them my grandmother never went to school and enjoyed the cards that people use for fortune telling. My mom thought that was suspect...maybe not threatening but suspect.
Dominicans also believe that someone, say a witch or something, could cast a spell on your family or cast you the evil eye. It's the caribbean so these beliefs are predominant, even though I think there are just as many people who are now much more educated and dismiss these ideas other still give them much credence (and my mom went to college!)
Anyhow, this particular item has nothing to do with Wiccan many people don't know what that is. They just cry "Witch!"
Which is why I shared that story about my mum she doesn't know what Wicca is, just "brujeria" (aka "witchery") and it makes sense that people will "cry witch" when they are going through societal difficulties and rapid change. They need scapegoats and there is no rationale otherwise.
6Pistil - Well, Wicca and Witchcraft kind of go hand in hand. The thing is that Wicca is a religion, but people who are ignorant about it think of it just as "witchcraft" where people cast awful spells or worship the devil or something. That's what I was trying to say.
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