Last year many modern Pagans got involved in the struggle to save Fawza Falih Muhammad Ali, a Saudi woman who was sentenced to death for the crime of “witchcraft”. The “proof” for these acts were completely happen-stance, attributing sorcerous causes to everyday occurrences, and her “confession” (since recanted) coerced through a string of beatings by the Mutaween (religious police). But while a variety of religious leaders called for her release and signed a petition to sway King Abdullah to show mercy, Fawza Falih remains on death row, and a new report has just been released showing that the Mutaween is stepping up anti-witchcraft/sorcery activities.

“Saudi Arabia’s morality police are launching a programme to combat witchcraft and sorcery, the official SPA news agency reported on Saturday. The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, also known as the muttawa, will create teams especially trained to eradicate the practices, Deputy Commission President Ibrahim al-Hoiml told SPA. “The plan is aimed at developing people to work in the field on cases of witchcraft and sorcery to protect the society and raise public awareness,” he said. Saudi ulema are concerned about the operations of self-described fortune-tellers, mystics, magicians and others who operate outside the rules of Islam.”

But don’t worry, the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CPVPV) did a study on the matter before this heightened crack-down could take place in order to ensure that only the best “scientific” methods were used to determine if someone was a witch.

“The rationale behind the CPVPV study, was to seek to fill the vacuum by making legal and regulatory determinations, as well as clarify the burden of evidence for magic and witchcraft cases as being scientific and practical, while also increasing the number of those involved in combating such cases, from the security agents on the ground, including the men of the CPVPV, to investigators, and judges.”

What’s unique and especially frightening about these developments is that unlike the “witch”-murders in places like Papua New Guinea or India, Saudi Arabia’s government is empowering and reinforcing these witch-hunting squads. It is state-sponsored murder of those who perform fortune-telling or cast spells, or those who are simply accused of doing so.

The message here is clear, our petitions and good intentions won’t save these poor souls from deadly superstition. The Saudi government is unmoved by the cries of moderate Muslims, modern Pagans, and spiritual progressives living in the decadent West. Only real pressure from outside governments could, perhaps, make some progress but the same Realpolitik that stops the U.S. (and other governments) from doing anything about exiled Tibetans will also stop them from interfering in the Saudi government’s human rights abuses. They are a key Middle East ally and oil supplier after all. Only in (relatively) open and free governments like South Africa and India can those who care about this issue do some actual immediate good. For those poor souls in Saudi Arabia, they can only hope that this hysteria recedes, while those of us on the outside keep vigil.

Tags: Fawza Falih Muhammad Ali, Islam, Saudi Arabia, Witch Killings, Witchcraft