I've read a lot of wiccan texts that state - almost every time at the beginning that we do not worship satan and why on earth would anyone think that? There are plenty of reasons that we become confused for other kinds of worship because of the unfortunate associations which can easily be mistaken.
Take a satanic 'witch' for example - if they go around saying they're witches it's no wonder that non-Wiccans are confused! Also taking into account the strange history of witchcraft and the accusations of all of the nasty hexing we're apparently constantly doing - which is not true. The threefold law serves every Wiccan, and if they choose to send out negativity they know that they will get it back threefold. The Wiccan Rede also states 'do as ye will but harm ye none' so that we are constantly sending out positivity and constructive energy.
I feel terribly sorry for those in Africa whose friends and family members have been taken away from witchdoctors. Witchdoctors are in no way associated with Wicca... not that I'd need to tell you, but this is another area of confusion. You may have read recently that a sickening amount of African albinos are being killed by witchdoctors - and by their own hands! Their body parts are used for black magick, and are reduced to specimens piece by piece. The truth is that some people choose to take black magick into their own hands. I personally call myself a White Witch because I am proud to only be producing positive energies and sending out only love and light into the world without working against anyone's will. As we've discussed before, some people don't want to give themselves a label apart from Witch because that may indicate that every thought and action is completely pure and untainted... though I get angry and cuss people in my head - not without always considering their side and trying to gain the most peaceful, mature and graceful approach that is available: we are always learning and evolving.
I honestly don't know how this could be changed if the government does not do a thing - would human rights organisations be able to jump in - surely if it's so sporadic it would be so hard to control.
Let us send out our love to those families who are suffering and pray that this will soon end - somehow.
Blessed Be
)O( Elspeth
Belief in Witchcraft Leads to Murders in Africa
posted: 09 December 2009 09:42 am ET
While many Westerners think of witches and witchcraft as being relics of the Middle Ages (or relegated to modern tourist traps in Salem, Massachusetts), in many countries belief in witches is common, and black magic is considered part of everyday life.
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redditIn Africa, witch doctors are consulted not only for healing diseases, but also for placing curses on rivals (or removing curses placed by rivals). Magic (or at least the belief in magic) is used for personal, political and financial gain.
America, of course, has its own version of witch doctors: the thousands of independent fortunetellers and psychic soothsayers with hole-in-the-wall shops occasionally arrested for scamming desperate or gullible customers. (Their victims are often led to believe that a curse has been placed upon them and that it can be removed with a generous "donation.") While fortunetellers usually do only financial and emotional harm, belief in black magic has led to dozens of murders.
In Tanzania, East Africa, at least 50 albinos (people with a rare genetic disorder that leaves the skin, hair, and eyes without pigment) were murdered for their body parts last year, according to the Red Cross. An albino's arms, fingers, genitals, ears, and blood are highly prized on the black market, believed to contain magical powers. People with albinism anywhere often stand out because of their distinctive features; in a continent of dark-skinned Africans, albinos are often the subject of fear, hatred, and ridicule.
The belief and practice of using body parts for magical ritual or benefit is called muti. (Science fiction fans may recall that muti was featured in the hit South African film "District 9," in which the hero's body parts were sought after by a local warlord who believed that the limbs would give him magical powers. That horrific scene was based in fact, not the screenwriter's imagination.)
The muti murders are particularly brutal, with knives and machetes used to cut and hack off limbs, breasts, and other body parts from their screaming victims—including children. Many of the albinos were beheaded, their heads carefully collected and preserved as gruesome good luck charms or for use in rituals.
While many suspects have been arrested for carrying out the albino murders, so far the persons who commissioned the killings (or offered huge sums for human body parts) have not been arrested. Some believe that because belief in witchcraft and muti is so accepted and widespread in East Africa, police, politicians, and judges are hesitant to pursue the criminals too vigorously. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of African albinos live in fear of their lives, shunned and hated because of the color of their skin. To those who believe in science, albinism is merely a rare medical condition; to those who believe in witchcraft and magic, it is a reason to murder and mutilate the innocent.
From LiveScience
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