Counsel for caution as African witch doctor eyes Oman clientele

Oman Wednesday 27/July/2016 21:50 PM
By: Times News Service
Counsel for caution as African witch doctor eyes Oman clientele

Muscat: A man claiming to be a witch doctor who can cure most ills is coming to Oman to cast “spells” for money.
The witch doctor has been promoting his love potions online via social media and is encouraging Omanis to contact him for spells and cure-alls – at a price.
For many Omanis, the spiritual side of healing is as important as the tried-and-tested global, scientific methods.
That allows frauds and charlatans to operate in the medical sphere, making money from naïve and often desperate people.
The African man told Omanis who contacted him online that he would be in Muscat in July, booked into a city centre hotel where he would receive patients and dispense his magic spells.
Money matters
He also asked some citizens to send money to Africa so that he could begin the process of making and casting his spells and potions.
The public, however, should stay away from fraudsters who declare themselves spiritual healers, a medic who works at a top mental hospital in Oman, warned.
“Many fraudsters take advantage of people suffering from mental issues and provide them with ‘medicine’ that can affect their health or, in some cases, be fatal,” the doctor warned.
The “powerful sangoma and healer” has a website that gives contact details, services, healing packages and the man, who calls himself a doctor, claims to be able to heal all manner of ailments and conditions, both physical and spiritual.
A Times of Oman reporter contacted the witch doctor, who presented himself as herbalist and black magic specialist, to ask for his advice on an affair of the heart.
“I broke up with my girlfriend two years ago, but she keeps trying to contact me, although I am already married. I heard you are coming to Oman for a course/session and am wondering if I can join and if you can help me to make her stop destroying my life?”
In no time, the “witch doctor” replied, promising to solve the problem.
“Yes, I will be coming to Oman Muscat and I definitely help you to overcome this problem,” he replied.
He asked the citizen to contact him on his private email and personal phone number, which has a South African country code.
“You can also send me your name and her name, so that I can start the spell early from this side, so that once I come over the work will be perfect,” he said.
In his third email, the “doctor” asked the reporter to purchase his air tickets, in return for a private meeting. “It is fine, I can come any time,” he said.
In his fifth email, the witch doctor started asking for cash.
“I don’t cast spells to hurt people. I cast it the way you tell me is right!! And I will not hurt her - only stop her. This spell will cost you $320. Just tell me when I must start.”
He was very clear that his magic is harmless. “I will cast the spell to stop her from coming to you or looking for your wife. She will stop immediately, but there is nothing she will notice, because it’s just a spell from my side. I cast it in my temple and it has no backfire whatsoever!! Don’t be worried of anything.”
He also offered to send pictures of the “temple” and the “ingredients” he uses to cast his spell.
Talking about his spells and potions, he added, “It’s just plants we use, sometimes with small skins of animals”.
When asked when he will be arriving in Muscat, he said “I’m not quite very sure because we are coming in big numbers with others and it will my first time to Oman. I’ve been to Qatar, Dubai and other places, so I might come or not - it will depend on the work I have here.”
Claims
On his website, the witch doctor says he can fix relationship issues, “banish a past lover”, “make someone love you” and “return a lover”.
Many fraudsters offer their services on popular Facebook pages.
One “patient” who claims she received treatment posted: “I want to thank Dr G for bringing back my ex, who I lost for the past 1 year and 4 months. I never believed, but I just made up my mind to contact him and give him a try. He proved me wrong by granting my heart’s desire.
“I am really happy that DR G brings back my ex to me, what more can I say, but thank you.”
In Oman, such healers use “witchcraft” to deceive their customers and charge them up to OMR400 per session, according to Dr Munthir Al Maqbali, psychiatry resident at Al Masarrat Hospital.
A public prosecutor told the Times of Oman that such acts are illegal and come under the category of fraud crimes.
According to the Omani penal code, fraudsters who are paid for such acts will serve between three months and two years in jail, with a fine of up to OMR300, if found guilty. Some patients spend an average of three years jumping from one unqualified fraudster to another before seeking proper help, says Al Maqbali.
Al Miqbali cited the case of a 17-year-old girl from North Al Batinah governorate who was suffering from bipolar disorder, a psychotic disorder marked by alternating periods of elation and depression.
“She had bruises, burns and severe injuries on many parts of her body, as she was badly beaten by a healer who hit her using an iron bar, as he claimed this would remove her from the clutches of ghosts,” Al Maqbali said, adding that upon arriving at the hospital, she was admitted immediately to the department of surgery, instead of psychiatry.
He said the girl left the hospital very soon after being admitted and her condition is today improving, as she takes only a minimal dose of medicine.
The fear of being seen at a mental hospital forces Omani patients to seek higher risk options, including seeking treatment from witch doctors, according to Al Maqbali. “Such a stigma is very painful. I can say that around 90 per cent of patients who have psychotic disorders waste three years consulting people who claim to be healers, using complementary and alternative medicines.
“This delay can result in more complications, as the patients, ultimately, become more depressed about their illnesses,” noted Al Maqbali.