Posted by Eugene Volokh:
"[Saudi Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" in Combat
with Sorcerers, Magicians":
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_03_15-2009_03_21.shtml#1237323301
From [1]the Saudi Gazette:
The Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice
(Hai�a) in Al-Ahsa arrested a sorcerer who dealt in magic and
provided his services to several men and women, who turned to him
out of a lack of religious motivation and ignorance, that sorcery
became the talk of the town.
Sheikh Adel Faqih, an expert in such matters and director of the
Hai�a branch of sorcery in Riyadh, said, �We are in an Islamic
country which is governed by Islamic law which prohibits
polytheism. Sorcery and magic are considered polytheism in Islam.
Unfortunately, sorcery is not a new phenomenon. It is a problem
that has existed since the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him).�
Sheikh Faqih explained that a sorcerer can be identified when he
asks for the name of a patient and for the name of the patient�s
mother or if he is seeking to buy an animal with certain features.
He can also be identified if he asks for a sheep to be killed
without mentioning Allah�s name and asks to stain the body with the
animal�s blood or if he asks for similar unusual things.
Sheikh Faqih said, �Sorcery cannot be divided into two branches.
There is only one kind of sorcery. There is no such thing as black
or white magic. Allah said that magic is infidelity and no one can
be a sorcerer unless he offers sacrifices to spirits and
disbelieves in God.� �Sorcery deals with amulets and talismans
which lead people to believe that such things can help them, but
that Allah cannot,� he added. �There are several awareness programs
conducted by the Hai�a through local and international media to
counteract the phenomenon of magicians and sorcerers,� Sheikh Faqih
said.
Thanks to the indispensable [2]Religion Clause (Prof. Howard Friedman)
for the pointer.
References
1.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009031532193
2.
http://religionclause.blogspot.com/2009/03/saudi-religious-enforcers-battle.html
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