by nycScribbler, 26 May 2008

An angry mob burned and killed 11 elderly people accused of being witches in the Kisii District, in western Kenya, on Tuesday. The mob made a list of eight women and three men ranging in age from 80 to 96, dragged them from their homes, burned them individually, and then set fire to their huts. According to local reporters, villagers say that they found evidence “proving” the claims of witchcraft in books at a local school which contained notes from a witches' meeting listing people who were going to be “bewitched.” It is unbelievable to think that this kind of superstitious bigotry and mob mentality still exists!

Though there is much political unrest, corruption, tribalism, and poverty in this region, most Africans in Kenya coexist peacefully when it comes to their varied religions – many in the East African nation are horrified that these atrocities have taken place. However, in the western region, there is a widespread suspicion of witchcraft and sorcery, and with a long history of belief in faith healers and witch doctors. So it’s not surprising that this isn’t first time witch killings have occurred in the area. Back in 1993, eight elderly people in the same Kisii region were accused of witchcraft and burnt to death in their huts.

This Thursday morning, police arrested 19 people suspected in the killings. They will be tried and charged for these heinous crimes. Police have ramped up security measures in the area to prevent revenge attacks in a region that is still vulnerable from the tribal killings during Kenya’s highly volatile post-election crisis earlier this year.

I can’t help but think of the hysteria that swept through Puritan Massachusetts in 1692 during the Salem witch trials, when numerous townspeople were accused and hanged for supposedly practicing witchcraft. At the root of this crime we see religious intolerance, hypocrisy, and fear of anything different or unknown. We have seen this type of mob mentality occur many times in the past where fear and hostility spread like wildfire. And in the case of the salem witch trials, having an unpopular opinion (one that rejected the lies) could have meant your life. In this case and in the case of the recent killings in Kenya, fear and ignorance drove the perpetrators to commit these acts of evil born from superstition and intolerance.

Sources:
Kenya arrests 19 suspects in "witch" killings
For more information and facts on Kenya, visit: infoplease - Kenya

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