DEFINING WITCHCRAFT-RELATED CRIMES IN
OUR SOCIETY
(ABSTRACT)
By:
Mahrukh Behzad
(01-155161-056)
BSS-2
Submitted to:
Sir Asim Muneeb
DEFINING WITCHCRAFT-RELATED CRIMES IN OUR SOCIETY
Abstract
Witchcraft beliefs continue to play an important role in the lives of many communities. Criminal acts that are associated with beliefs in witchcraft have illustrated the complexities that emerge in the relationship between crime and culture. However, despite the political, social and economic changes that have occurred in these communities due to the influence of modernization and globalization, old witchcraft beliefs and practices have not only persisted, but they have adapted and marked themselves in a new form, namely witchcraft-related crime. In this research paper, information from multiple genuine sources has been gathered to express the importance of the issue, that is the crimes related to witchcraft, and the extreme urgency to recognize them as ‘crimes’ and propose their countermeasures. Crimes associated with witchcraft beliefs have occurred relatively frequently throughout various groups, yet the authorities in several of these areas have been ineffective in addressing these crimes. Since witchcraft has changed along with the communities in which it exists, old approaches to the study of witchcraft need to be modified to suit the new situation. A clear definition of witchcraft-related crimes is needed to assist in dealing with these cases. Such a definition should be holistic, meaning that local perceptions of witchcraft as a crime should be taken into account, along with violence and other more obvious criminal acts. This paper will suggest a way forward in achieving this goal, as new approaches will be involved in efforts to apply cultural knowledge in the setting of law enforcement in order to address this unique demonstration of crime.
References:
Breslaw, Elaine G. “Tituba’s Confession: The Multicultural...