THE mysterious forces of Jinn and black magic, which some cultures and faiths believe can possess people and cause mental illness, are to be highlighted by a unique soundscape created by a group of Glasgow Muslim women.
Jinn, Black Magic and Mental Health, an exhibition created by AMINA Muslim Women’s Resource Centre in partnership with Awards For All – and due to be launched this Friday at the Tramway – tells the stories behind the often hidden belief in spirit possession.
They include Jinn, spirits that many Islamic cultures believe can inhabit the human form and possess people. According to researchers the belief can influence how people understand mental health symptoms, and the ways in which they seek help.
In order to highlight the issue, the group of women from African countries including Yemen, Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan and South Asian countries such as Pakistan and various Arab States, worked with AMINA and playwright Mariem Omari for six months to create a unique soundscape, featuring stories which were often from their countries of origin.
One woman from Pakistan, who had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome recalled the stress caused by her mother-in-law’s insistence that her inability to fall pregnant have been caused by black magic rather than a medical condition.
Another woman told the story of a relative living in her native Senegal, who was taken to a faith healer by her mother despite a medical diagnosis of schizophrenia, tied up and “taken to people who would hit her” in order to frighten away the Jinn spirits.
Other woman had experience of seeing conditions such as post-natal depression, and even hormonal imbalances during the menopause, blamed on Jinn possession.
Ghizala Avan, programmes manager at AMINA, said the idea for the exhibition came from a study done by the University of West of Scotland in 2018 found that beliefs in Jinn and black magic are held by some Muslim women in the city.
The report highlighted the need for more open discussions about mental health issues to raise awareness and end stigma in the BME community. It also found that there is a lack of awareness and education amongst mental health professionals around Islamic faith and beliefs that may be impacting the individual’s health and wellbeing. Previous research supports similar findings. A 2011 study on the beliefs about Jinn, black magic and evil eye amongst Muslims in the UK found that 80% of participants believed in Jinn and about half believed that the Jinn could be a factor in causing mental and physical health problems.
Avan added: “As an organisation working with Muslim, black and minority ethnic women, we have come across many women who believe that they or members of their family have been afflicted by black magic or possessed by Jinn. When communities are seeking support from faith ‘healers’, and not accessing health care professionals it is particularly concerning.
“The other side is the mental health professionals need to be aware of these issues. If that awareness is there then they will be better able to help people coming to them with these beliefs, not simply dismiss them as ridiculous. It’s important to understand the context and not apply a westernised Eurocentric model of understanding.”
Pooja Marwaha, who co-ordinated the exhibition on behalf of AMINA agreed more understanding was needed. She said the workshops held to create the soundscape allowed women a unique opportunity to be open about their experiences.
“Women taking part in these workshops were able to talk about the issues that they have and the hardships they have had to go through in a safe and judgement free environment,” she added.
“One participant said that this was the first time she talked about Jinn and black magic and how they have impacted her and she felt a life-long load lift of her shoulders.
“Another woman said that before she would not talk about black magic as she would be ridiculed by anyone she spoke to about believing in such things.
“We were able to empower and encourage the women to try and tackle the misconceptions around mental health issues in the Muslim and BME communities.”
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