SorcerersChechnya president orders crackdown on wizards, sorcerers, and faith healers
Ramzan Kadyrov, the president of Chechnya since 2005, was the driving force behind the Center for Islamic Medicine in Grozny, the largest Islamic folk hospital in Europe, where faith healers perform djinn (Islamic spirits) exorcisms by reading Quranic verses aloud. Kadyrov has changed his mind, and has now banned sorcery in the country, calling its practitioners “charlatans.”
Ramzan Kadyrov, president of Chechnya // Source: pakgamers.com
Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov has told his people to stay away from “charlatans” claiming to have magic powers, who he accused of exploiting people’s sufferings for money.
The Telegraph reports that since he became president in 2005, Kadyrov has promoted Islamic mysticism, and was the leading force behind the Center for Islamic Medicine in Grozny, the capital city in the Chechen republic. It appears, though, that Kadyrov is changing his stance
Over 130,000 people between 2008 and the fall of 2011 have been treated at the center by faith healers who perform djinn exorcisms by reading Quranic verses aloud, according to government figures.
Kadyrov met with municipal leaders in Grozny late last week and said that “turning to wizards and false healers won’t bring them any relief and is banned by Islam,” according to the Chechen government.
“[False healers] convince people that they can cure illnesses, while having no any knowledge or skills. Unfortunately, people who seek relief take the bait,” Kadyrov noted in a meeting.
Kadryrov also said that anyone who engages in these practices would be punished by the region’s feared security services.
The magicians who claim to be able to solve problems with health, family conflicts, and help with career were also invited to the meeting in Grozny. Some of them assured their clients that they were sheikhs or even psychics capable of not only foreseeing, but also changing, fates. Kadyrov noted that although these magicians pretend to be religious healers, they could not quote a single piece (ayah) from the Qur’an.
“We should eradicate charlatanism on the territory of the Chechen Republic,” Kadyrov stated, adding that authorities, police, and spiritual leaders should join their efforts to do so. He underlined that it is important to explain to people that turning to magicians is banned in Islam.
The president also addressed the “quacks” present at the gathering and urged them to refrain from illegal activities.
