Dawood entered a man's kitchen in Zakho hoping for a cure. He came out covered in burns. His suffering did not end there. This is a tale of sorcery, talismans, sorcerers, and those searching for miracles to fulfil their needs.

Daoud Ali, 49, sat in a psychiatrist’s clinic in Duhok, tense and anxiously awaiting his turn to share his suffering with the doctor. He was waiting for treatment for his mental health condition, which had been plaguing him for over 25 years. 

Ali experiences recurring episodes of distress despite his relentless attempts to escape them. He remains in constant fear of either madness or death. He became convinced that he was under the influence of sorcery after discovering an amulet among his belongings, inscribed with his name alongside some symbols, shapes, and incomprehensible talismans. One of the phrases written on the amulet read: ‘Harhamoush Marmamoush, King of the Mountains, make the bearer of this paper like a child among his children, and let the women of the world appear dark in his eyes… Lock… Lock… Lock.’ 

Ali feels unable to escape the obsessive thoughts and overthinking. Anxiety and fear haunt him. ‘I’m at war with myself,’ he told Jummar. 

On multiple occasions, Ali was forced to leave his currency exchange office in one of Duhok’s markets open during peak working hours. He fled from the overwhelming thoughts, obsessions, and fears that chased him, only to find himself in an isolated place without any conscious intention. 

Over the years, he sought help from spiritual healers and religious figures both within Iraq and abroad and even reached out to others online, paying them money in the hope of finding a cure. All his efforts were in vain. They told him he was hexed with black magic and that ‘breaking the spell of this kind of sorcery is no easy task’. 

He spent over 10,000 US Dollars in his quest for treatment but to no avail. 

Kebab skewers 

Some of those Ali had visited for treatment used religious titles and employed various methods to allegedly attempt to heal him. One of the most extreme incidents involved branding parts of his body with kebab skewers. 

The kebab skewers incident occurred when Ali visited a Syrian spiritual healer who had arrived in Zakho, a northern Duhok province, about three years ago. 

The healer, who appeared to be in his forties, was described by Ali as having a commanding presence: tall, brown, with large eyes and a slow pace of speaking. After listening to Ali’s story, the healer claimed he could cure him by expelling the jinn and possessing his body through fire branding. 

He led Ali into the kitchen of his modest home, heated four metal skewers on the stove until they were glowing red, and then branded his body nine times—on the shoulders, middle and lower back, thighs, and knees. The healer recited Quranic verses, incantations, and other incomprehensible words throughout the process. 

Ali said that he was forced to endure the excruciating pain of the burns, clinging to the hope of having a normal life. His body suffered from the effects of the burns and subsequent infections for over two months. However, his psychological torment did not go away. 

Water and three candles 

Nasreen Hassan, 32, was super suspicious of everyone around her. She doubted her husband, relatives, and neighbours, convinced that everyone she knew spoke ill of her. She heard voices wherever she went, became intensely angry over the smallest matters, and had strained relationships with everyone. She believed she needed a type of treatment that psychiatrists could not provide. 

Accompanied by her sister, she travelled to Kirkuk from Sulaymaniyah, where she lived. There, they went to a simple house of a man in his forties. He was tall and slender, with a long face, a prominent nose, and big eyes. He wore traditional Kurdish clothing and a black turban. 

Nasreen noticed two women inside the house, one of whom addressed the man as sheikh. She explained the details of her condition to him. He assured her that he could solve her problem by tying the tongues of those who hated her and making her husband obedient to her. 

The Sheikh led Nasreen and her sister into an adjacent room filled with Quranic verses and the scent of incense on the walls. In one corner, she noticed a small library with books, notebooks, and jars of herbs. The Sheikh brought a water bowl and lit three red, blue, and white candles. He then began reciting verses from the Quran, followed by incantations and other incomprehensible words. 

‘His commanding and powerful voice filled me with fear,’ Nasreen told Jummar. 

The Sheikh asked for the names of the people she suspected hated her and for their mothers’ names. He then gave her something looking like water after he had recited Quranic verses and incantations, instructing her to mix a small amount into tea or other drinks and serve it to these people. 

He handed her two long pieces of paper inscribed with cyphers and unfamiliar names like ‘Mazir, Kamtam, Qaswara, Tikil’. He instructed her to place small strands of hair belonging to the women she suspected in the first paper, seal it with strong adhesive, and bury it in a cemetery. He told her that the second paper should be wrapped and placed inside her husband’s pillow or among his clothes. 

Nasreen paid 150,000 Iraqi dinars, around 100 US Dollars, for these rituals and repeated the sessions twice. However, there was no improvement. 

Later, she decided to consult a psychiatrist. ‘I overcame my struggles after months of treatment under the doctor’s care, with the support of my husband and family,’ she said. 

Delivery service 

Sheikh Khalifa charges at least $600 for performing magic to resolve marital issues, tie tongues, subdue people, or bring back a lover. He told Jummar that his magic is carried out by harnessing jinn during client sessions. Some of his significant works can cost 1000 US Dollars or more, though he didn’t specify their nature and said they can take several days and multiple sessions. 

Sheikh Khalifa has a home, a phone number, and a social media page where he welcomes clients. For those unable to visit his house, the rituals are performed remotely, with talismans sent via private delivery services and payments made through smart cards. 

The business occasionally benefits herbal shop owners. Mohammed Kamal, the owner of a herbal shop in Duhok, said that many customers come in carrying notes listing specific herbs requested by a sheikh or healer. He said the most wanted herbs include Christ’s thorn jujube’s leaves, an evergreen tree or plant native to the Levant, East Africa, and Mesopotamia, Peganum harmala  seeds, frankincense, cloves, saffron, bay leaves, rosemary, and chamomile. All are herbs believed to help relax and soothe the body and mind. Kamal emphasised that he had no direct dealings with these sheikhs and simply sells his goods to anyone who asks for them. 

Despite government measures and regulations, practices involving magic remain widespread in Kurdistan. 

Hazar Mohammed Mustafa Al-Sindi, an expert in Islamic studies familiar with the work of sorcerers, said that some advertise their services via social media and even deliver talismans through a delivery system. According to Al-Sindi, most of their clients are women facing psychological, emotional, or familial problems, as well as those seeking marriage or wanting to assert control over others. Men also consult these practitioners to seek wealth, identify thieves, or achieve other personal goals. 

Al-Sindi criticised the authorities for not committing to combat this “dangerous phenomenon for society”. Karzan Saleh, spokesperson for the Erbil police, stated that such practices are prohibited under the Iraqi Penal Code. 

A woman reportedly paid 150,000 US dollars to a sorcerer in Erbil to attract her so-called prince charming. When he failed to make his promise and refused to refund her money, she filed a complaint against him. “The sorcerer was arrested based on her complaint and referred to the judiciary,” said Karzan Saleh to Jummar. He added that the police frequently receive complaints involving magic, sorcery, and fraud perpetrated through such sorcerers. 

At the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs in Kurdistan issued strict directives to counter magic, sorcery, the use of fake titles, and the exploitation of religious texts for monetary gain. Kurdistan and Iraqi security forces periodically announce the arrests of individuals accused of practising sorcery under Article 456 of the Iraqi Penal Code No. 111 of 1969. However, many continue their activities freely despite such measures. 

Medical perspective 

Psychiatrist Salem Al-Hakim identified the cases of Ali, Nasreen, and others as stemming from early-life traumas caused by fear and the use of intimidating methods in child-rearing. He explained that these traumas were further compounded by the harsh conditions resulting from wars and economic, social, and cultural challenges. 

Al-Hakim warned that a lack of courage in confronting fears and obsessions exacerbated anxiety and panic disorders. Over time, this can lead to the emergence of unusual behaviours, physical pain, and mental or neurological illnesses. 

“Some sorcerers exploit individuals who have psychological disorders, convincing them that evil spirits inhabit their bodies and claiming they can expel these spirits with talismans and magic,” he said. Al-Hakim treats numerous cases linked to psychological stress and trauma in his clinic, including panic disorder, conversion disorder, hysteria, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorders, delusional disorders, and depressive disorders. He noted that some of these conditions have genetic or biological roots. 

The psychiatrist emphasised that the lack of awareness about psychological treatment and the reluctance to consult mental health professionals contribute significantly to the worsening of these conditions. This reluctance, he suggested, delayed Daoud and Nasreen’s recovery despite the substantial sums they spent in the homes of sorcerers and spiritual healers.