The Negative View of Iraqi Law on the Crimes of Witchcraft and Sorcery
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55908/sdgs.v11i6.777Keywords:
crime, human rights, sorcery, supernatural powers, witchcraftAbstract
Objective: The article aims to highlight the serious crime that the law remained oblivious to it whether in treatment or criminalizing it. Although all monotheistic religions recognize it, the position of the Arab legislator differed from that. Some of them put an explicit text criminalizing witchcraft as a separate offense, and some put it under the crime of fraud, including the Iraqi Penal Code.
Methodology: This article explains the nature of witchcraft and the methods used for it, and clarified the effect of witchcraft on the individual and society, and the witchcraft crime in terms of human rights. It will also look at the views of the Islamic religion, in relation to witchcraft and sorcery and the position of the Iraqi legislator and some Arab countries on it.
Result and discussion: The crime of witchcraft is an independent crime and cannot be considered a crime of fraud due to the seriousness of its consequences according to the legislation in some Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Conclusions: Man has practiced magic and sorcery throughout the ages, and surprisingly, they are still practicing it in the current era, on a large scale. It submitted that the crime of witchcraft should not be considered as one of the crimes of fraud. It is necessary to put a specific article that applies to the real act (witchcraft and sorcery) and mind it as one of the most dangerous acts that the legislator must face with the harshest penalties.
References
Abdelsalam, M. R. (2023) ‘Egypt: Criminal Law’, Yearbook of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law Online, 22(1), pp. 206–210.
Abdul-Rahman, M. S. (2009) Tafsir Ibn Kathir Juz’28 (Part 28): Al-Mujadila 1 to At-Tahrim 12. MSA Publication Limited.
Adam, L. et al. (2023) ‘Depression and Quality of Life of People Accused of Witchcraft and Living in Alleged Witches’ Camps in Northern Ghana’, Health & Social Care in the Community. Edited by K. Srinivasan, 2023, p. 6830762. doi: 10.1155/2023/6830762.
Ahmed Taro, S. and Muhammed Qadir, A. (2023) ‘Iraqi Criminal Recidivism Policy Reform’, Academic Journal of Nawroz University, 12(2 SE-Articles), pp. 236–244. doi: 10.25007/ajnu.v12n2a1767.
Al-Aoufi, H., Al-Zyoud, N. and Shahminan, N. (2012) ‘Islam and the cultural conceptualisation of disability’, International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 17(4), pp. 205–219. doi: 10.1080/02673843.2011.649565.
Alahmed, M. S. and saleh, A. (2020) ‘The problem of causality in assigning damage to acts of witchcraft and sorcery Analytical study in civil law’, Alrafidain of Law, 23(73), pp. 1–49. doi: 10.33899/rlawj.2020.127054.1068.
Alhawawsheh, A. N. S. (2021) ‘CRIMINAL CONFRONTATION OF CRIMES OF WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY IN THE UAE PENAL CODE’, PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 18(4), pp. 2467–2481.
Ali, M. M. (2011) Holy Quran. Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam Lahore USA.
Ally, Y. and Laher, S. (2008) ‘South African Muslim Faith Healers Perceptions of Mental Illness: Understanding, Aetiology and Treatment’, Journal of Religion and Health, 47(1), pp. 45–56. doi: 10.1007/s10943-007-9133-2.
Aremu, L. O. (1980) ‘Criminal responsibility for homicide in Nigeria and supernatural beliefs’, International & Comparative Law Quarterly, 29(1), pp. 112–131.
Ashforth, A. (2015) ‘Witchcraft, Justice, and Human Rights in Africa: Cases from Malawi’, African Studies Review. 2015/03/16, 58(1), pp. 5–38. doi: DOI: 10.1017/asr.2015.2.
Assist. Legal Consultant Sarah Hassan Alwan and Prof. Dr. Iyad Mutashar Sayhoud (2023) ‘NEW NATIONALITY PROVISIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL PERSONAL STATUS RULES’, World Bulletin of Management and Law, 19(SE-), pp. 120–135. Available at: https://scholarexpress.net/index.php/wbml/article/view/2246.
Awaysheh, A. (2020) ‘Evaluation of Students of Islamic Countries of the Faculty of Sharia and the Islamic Cultural Center at the University of Jordan for their Role in Establishing Shari’a Sciences and Intellectual Security’, Dirasat: Shari’a and Law Sciences, 47(2 SE-Articles), pp. 134–149. Available at: https://dsr.ju.edu.jo/djournals/index.php/Law/article/view/3004.
Bowie, F. (2021) ‘Anthropology of Religion’, in The Wiley Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion, pp. 1–24. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119092797.ch1.
Bruynell, M. (2012) ‘The dangers of modern day belief in the supernatural: International persecution of witches and albinos’, Suffolk Transnat’l L. Rev., 35, p. 393.
Burge, S. (2021) ‘The Demystification of Magic in the Tafsīr al-Manār: An Analysis of the Exegetical and Homiletic Devices Used in the Discussion “Mabḥath al-siḥr wa-Hārūt wa-Mārūt”’, Religions, 12, p. 734. doi: 10.3390/rel12090734.
Caplan, P. (2006) ‘Terror, witchcraft and risk’, AnthroGlobe.
Caple James, E. (2012) ‘Witchcraft, bureaucraft, and the social life of (US) aid in Haiti’, Cultural Anthropology, 27(1), pp. 50–75.
Dardas, L. A. and Simmons, L. A. (2015) ‘The stigma of mental illness in A rab families: a concept analysis’, Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 22(9), pp. 668–679.
Edwards, S. (2013) ‘The genocide and terror of witchcraft accusation, persecution and related violence: an emergency situation for international human rights and domestic law’, International Family Law, 4, pp. 322–330.
Evans-Pritchard, E. E. (2010) ‘The notion of witchcraft explains unfortunate events’, Good, Byron J. et al.(Hg.): A Reader in Medical Anthropology. Theoretical Trajectories, Emergent Realities. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 18–25.
Forsyth, M. and Eves, R. (2015) ‘The Problems and Victims of Sorcery and Witchcraft Practices and Beliefs in Melanesia: An Introduction.’, in, pp. 1–19.
Horowitz, M. (2014) ‘The persecution of witches, 21st-century style’, The New York Times, p. NA-L.
Ibn Hajar, A. (2003) ‘Fath Al-Bari Explanation of Sahih Al-Bukhari’, Beirut: House of Knowledge.
Idrissi, A. and Filali Ansary, H. (2023) ‘Equivocal Attitudes to Religion in Moroccan Law and Society’, in The Sociology of Shari’a: Case Studies from Around the World. Springer, pp. 141–158.
IP-related Laws (1960) The Jordanian Penal Code. Available at: http://legal.pipa.ps/files/server/ENG Panel Law No_ (16) of 1960.pdf.
Kajiru, I. and Nyimbi, I. (2020) ‘The impact of myths, superstition and harmful cultural beliefs against albinism in Tanzania: A human rights perspective’, Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal/Potchefstroomse Elektroniese Regsblad, 23(1).
Karhout, K. M. and Abbas, H. A. (2022) ‘Iraqi women are exposed to the topics of magic and sorcery in Egyptian drama and its reflection on their intellectual orientations-A field study of a sample of women in Baghdad governorate’, LARK JOURNAL FOR PHILOSOPHY, LINGUISTICS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, 3(46 ج1).
Kugara, S. L. (2017) ‘Witchcraft belief and criminal responsibility: A case study of selected areas in South Africa and Zimbabwe’.
Linder, D. (2005) ‘A brief history of witchcraft persecutions before Salem’, University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Lowe, J. (2022) ‘Breaking the Silence: An Islamic Legal Approach to Facilitating Reporting and Testimony by Muslim Victims and Witnesses of Sexual Crimes’, Religions. doi: 10.3390/rel13111017.
Masquelier, A. (2008) ‘Witchcraft, blood-sucking spirits, and the demonization of Islam in Dogondoutchi, Niger’, Cahiers d’études africaines, (1), pp. 131–160.
Mattar, M. Y. (2013) ‘Article 43 of the Arab charter on human rights: reconciling national, regional, and international standards’, Harv. Hum. Rts. J., 26, p. 91.
Mohyuddin, A. and Rehman, I. (2015) ‘IMPACT OF BLACKMAGIC AND WITCHCRAFT IN A MUSLIM COMMUNITY’, Mystic Thoughts-Research Journal of Sufism and Peace, 1(1).
Pandey, H. (2022) ‘Superstitious Human Killings in India and the Need for a Central Anti-Superstition Law’, Issue 6 Indian JL & Legal Rsch., 4, p. 1.
Phuong, N. H. B. (2023) ‘Phan Boi Chau’s Thoughts on Feminism and the Struggle for Women’s Rights’, Journal of Law and Sustainable Development, 11(2 SE-Articles), p. e401. doi: 10.55908/sdgs.v11i2.401.
Pop-Curşeu, I. and Pop-Curșeu, Ștefana (2023) ‘Witchcraft Acts: Condemnation of Sorcery in the Codes of Law BT - Witchcraft in Romania’, in Pop-Curşeu, I. and Pop-Curșeu, Ștefana (eds). Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 27–64. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-15222-1_2.
Qurtubi, M. ibn A. and Minyar, M. T. B. (1997) Muqaddimat Tafsir Al-Imam Al-Qurtubi. Dar Ibn Hazm.
Salman, O. Y. (2023) ‘Towards Criminalization of Witchcraft and Sorcery in Iraq’s Criminal Legislation’, resmilitaris, 13(1), pp. 1133–1139.
Sanou, B. (2017) ‘Witchcraft accusations: Destroying family, community, and church’, Journal of Adventist Mission Studies, 13(1), pp. 33–44.
Shaaban, Y. A. and Saleh, S. S. (2022) ‘Detecting crimes of witchcraft and sorcery by adopting special methods of research and investigation-comparative Study’, Tikrit University Journal for Rights, 6(3), pp. 20–51.
Siddiqui, A. H. (2008) ‘translation of Sahih Muslim’, University of Southern Carolina Centre for Muslim-Jewis Engagement-Avaiabl from: www. usc. edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/hadith/muslim.
Singh, M. (2021) ‘Magic, Explanations, and Evil: The Origins and Design of Witches and Sorcerers’, Current Anthropology, 62(1), pp. 2–29. doi: 10.1086/713111.
Stewart, P. and Strathern, A. (2023) ‘Assault Sorcery and Religion’. Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.1166.
Valentine, S. R. (2015) Force and fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and beyond. Oxford University Press.
Villarreal, J. F. et al. (2023) ‘What do we understand by Islamic “fundamentalism”? A review based on our hermeneutical limits and the sense of history in terms of the juridical-political legacy of such a creed.’, Journal of Law and Sustainable Development, 11(1 SE-Articles), p. e0270. doi: 10.37497/sdgs.v11i1.270.
Vinea, A. (2023) ‘Possessed or Insane? Diagnostic Puzzles in Contemporary Egypt’, International Journal of Middle East Studies. 2023/05/24, pp. 1–15. doi: DOI: 10.1017/S0020743823000673.
van der Vliet, J. (2021) ‘Magic, Egypt’, in The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, pp. 1–9. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119399919.eahaa00442.
Wheater, K. (2017) An Analysis of EE Evans-Pritchard’s Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic Among the Azande. Macat Library.
Zadeh, T. (2015) ‘Magic, marvel, and miracle in early Islamic thought’, The Cambridge History of Magic and Witchcraft in the West from Antiquity to the Present, pp. 235–267.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Lana Majid Hayder, Asma Hakimah Ab Halim, Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, Fatimah Yusro Hashim
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1. Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms: the author(s) authorize(s) the publication of the text in the journal;
2. The author(s) ensure(s) that the contribution is original and unpublished and that it is not in the process of evaluation by another journal;
3. The journal is not responsible for the views, ideas and concepts presented in articles, and these are the sole responsibility of the author(s);
4. The publishers reserve the right to make textual adjustments and adapt texts to meet with publication standards.
5. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right to first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Atribuição NãoComercial 4.0 internacional, which allows the work to be shared with recognized authorship and initial publication in this journal.
6. Authors are allowed to assume additional contracts separately, for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (e.g. publish in institutional repository or as a book chapter), with recognition of authorship and initial publication in this journal.
7. Authors are allowed and are encouraged to publish and distribute their work online (e.g. in institutional repositories or on a personal web page) at any point before or during the editorial process, as this can generate positive effects, as well as increase the impact and citations of the published work (see the effect of Free Access) at http://opcit.eprints.org/oacitation-biblio.html
• 8. Authors are able to use ORCID is a system of identification for authors. An ORCID identifier is unique to an individual and acts as a persistent digital identifier to ensure that authors (particularly those with relatively common names) can be distinguished and their work properly attributed.
