Casting Out The Djinn

Visitors to the countries of Western Africa (including Morocco, Algeria, and Senegal) can take in the exotic sights, sounds and smells associated with that part of the world but, for a real understanding of the religious life of the people, you need to learn about the marabouts. Meaning "saints" in the Berber language spoken in Morocco and Algeria, the marabouts act as spiritual leaders of the particular brand of Islam practiced throughout the West African nations. While the marabout tradition appears to predate Islam (and Islamic leaders often denounce the veneration attached to them), marabout worship can take many forms. The term marabout extends to the living spiritual leaders, known for their virtuous living and ability to act as agents between humans and divine forces, but also to the tombs where they are buried. Long after a marabout's death, the tomb can be a site for pilgrimages with each saint being judged by the miracles attached to his name and stories surrounding his life. Of all the marabouts who continue to attract pilgrims long after their death, there are few who are more revered than Bouya Omar.

Believed to have been born in 16th century Morocco, Bouya (Father) Omar developed a reputation for his ability to heal those suffering from mental illness. Much as in other parts of the world, mental illness was believed to be due to being possessed by evil spirits, in this case malign djinoun (djinn is the singular form). Although they are familiar figures in Western culture these days, djinoun (more commonly known as genies) are often perceived in West Africa as mischievous or vindictive spirits able to possess humans and cause illness. They were originally part of Arabian folklore but traditions concerning djinoun have been adopted in many countries in Western Africa, especially with respect to symptoms of mental illness. Bouya Omar's reputation stemmed from his ability to communicate with djinoun, learn what grievance they had against the one possessed, and persuading the djinn to leave. Long after his death, the tomb of Bouya Omar (near Marrakesh) continues to be the centre of veneration with families taking their mentally ill loved ones to the tomb to seek Bouya Omar's help. Physical restraints (including chains) are often used and ailing supplicants are kept near the tomb for months (if not years) to participate in complex rituals of prayer, animal sacrifice, or ritual fumigation with herbs administered by traditional healers (known as fquih or feki).

While modern psychiatry is slowly gaining acceptance in the larger cities, there is no real relationship between mainstream psychiatry and the traditional healers. Fquih have been known to recommend patients to psychiatrists when their rituals fail to help their patients but psychiatrists often view them as being little more than charlatans. Patients admitted to the few psychiatric hospitals available in the region tend to find themselves caught between medical and traditional views of healing with no real middle ground. Tempting as it is to consign the traditional healers to the fringes of African society, that is far from the case and they show no signs of going away, especially when psychiatric medication remains unaffordable for many Africans.

Is there a real solution? If so, feel free to share it with the ones at the tomb, waiting to be healed.

Comments

[lauren25]

Does anyone know where I can get information of the address and telephone number of this place.

[Romeo Vitelli]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Which place do you mean?

[lauren25]

i mean bouya omar. I have just found out a my freind is there his family put him there and i need to get him out he is definetly not crazy