...you do not have drinking water.
...you are suffering from poverty.
...you do not get enough food to eat.
...you are HIV Positive.
No.
...you are a witch!
Yesterday, CNN.com reported that local communities in Africa are gripped by the hysteria that children could be witches.
Whilst adults can be possessed as well, most of these cases occur amongst children from a very young age.
CNN.com reports that 'belief in witchcraft is rooted in centuries of tradition, but it is only in the last ten years that it has become associated with child abuse'.
Honestly, like Africa didn't have enough problems, like 'trying to survive' (for instance), already?
Lucky Inyang, who is a project co ordinator for 'Stepping Stones Nigeria' told CNN that it is the religious leaders who try to capatilize on the ignorance of some parents, so as to make money out of them.
Stepping Stones Nigeria is a non profit that helps those children, who are homeless and live out on the street, in abandon buildings etc.
A fee to deliver a person/child from the 'clasps of witchcract' is anywhere between $300 to $2000.
Ridiculous is an understatement.
Also, if these so called 'religious leaders' decide that these children 'CANNOT' be redeemed they need to be thrown out or killed.
There's an online poll running on CRARN (Child Rights and Rehabiliation Network) which asks:
How should children accused of witchcraft be treated?
1) Beaten 2) Starved 3)Tortured 4) Killed 5)Given Love and Protection
You'll be surprised to know that 100% of the people do not believe in Option number 5. I wonder what goes on in the minds of these people?
'Love and protection?! Pssht! What is that?
These potentially malnourished children are not weak and near the point of death! HECK NO! They're the reason why Africa is poverty stricken in the first place. Not tribal wars, corruption and residual effects of colonialism. Its got to be these 5, 10 and 15 year old's putting spells on us when we are sleeping. Yup, thats EXACTLY what it is'.
The shameful thing is that the African Government says that there are no prosecutions.
I guess those chants and fires, big enough to burn children, must have conveyed something else to the authorities.
It could have been anything right? Like a birthday bash and bonfire, and people singing altered lyrics to Sean Kingstons '911' ("...FIRE burning up the dance floor").
It could be anything, cept' it's not 'anything'...
Africa doesn't need more children dying, on purpose.
To see more of their ignorance, sheer stupidity and lack of reasoning, watch the link below:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/video/2007/dec/09/video
No comments:
Post a Comment