Social Media Sorcery: Morocco’s Traditional Healers Embrace Digital Age

The time when marabouts and sorcerers received their clients in remote huts or gave them secret appointments is over. Now, they are embarking on modernity. They offer their services on Facebook and other platforms. These services can be summarized in a few points: bringing back the ex-partner, canceling revenge spells, and even charms so that everything in life goes wrong, but also protecting against the evil eye, increasing the prosperity of businessmen, or even finding hidden treasures.

Marabouts and sorcerers have taken over social networks before Eid al-Adha 2024. Among their practices, the use of the "shoulder bone" of the sacrificed sheep. According to legend, this bone would be reserved for the writing of mystical talismans and would therefore be endowed with evil powers. In a statement to Hespress, Khouloud Sbai, a professor of social psychology, explained that magic and witchcraft are deeply rooted social phenomena that cannot be eradicated overnight. These practices respond to emotional and relational needs, beyond simple psychological remedies. According to her, by making these practices visible, social networks are paradoxically contributing to the denunciation and collective awareness of their existence.

For Mustapha Siali, a professor of social psychology at the Cadi Ayyad University, it is quite possible to fight witchcraft. According to him, this fight will go through the education and awareness of the younger generations to the dangers of these practices. With repression having shown its limits, the academic calls for a real state will to eradicate these archaic beliefs in a country where Islam, the state religion, firmly condemns witchcraft.