Dark arts: Out in the open

The practicing of dark arts or black magic is fast blending into a grey area. In countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, it is now affiliated with cultural attributes.

This or any other kind of magic is drawn with the intent to summon the dark forces or to cause misfortune and destruction of the enemy.

Despite the practice being illegal and forbidden in many religions, including Islam, attempts are made to legitimize its standing in society. Using the power of suggestion, non threatening terms like sorcery and magic are replaced to soften the practices by blurring the boundaries with grey.

Muslim countries like Yemen, Malaysia, Indonesia and many African countries are known to have little control over its sudden rise, practice, and business, and its growing notoriety, the government feels pressured into imposing harsher laws to control it.

The concept of Black magic and Dark arts has been of fascination since the earliest of times. It is human nature to be intrigued by the forbidden. Curiosity and attainment of power, jealousy, and hatred are also the motives behind its involvement. The romanticized perception transmitted through storytelling and media have also aided in its further acceptance where people are fooled about its rosy influences.

Frauds, con artists and even the authentic witchcraft practitioners have duped and lured people with their inviting advertisements present at every nook and cranny of streets all over the world where helpless; naïve customers with all sorts of desires or ill intentions are swindled.

 Many countries have varying laws and policies to curb black magic, voodoo and all sorts of witchcraft. Gulf countries are known to take pre-emptive actions, and severe penalties are imposed, including the death penalty. Countries like Bahrain are working actively where the government is determined with its new laws to uproot the evil from their country with stiff fines and even deportation.

Although some human rights activists are against the harsh penalties, the question remains, should there be any matters of leniency in what beckons to the work of Satan?