When Ordinary Objects Became Proof of Sorcery

Introduction

Accusations of sorcery inside UAE households rarely resemble the dramatic witch hunts found in some parts of history. Instead, they usually emerge from private disputes: a marriage breaking down, an employer becoming suspicious of a domestic worker, unexplained illness, financial problems, or deteriorating family relationships. Ordinary objects—pieces of cloth, dolls, handwritten notes, incense, photographs or personal belongings—may be interpreted as evidence of harmful magic, even though such items can have multiple explanations. The result is that allegations often sit at the intersection of religious belief, criminal law, interpersonal conflict and fraud rather than any objectively demonstrable supernatural event.

Modern UAE law criminalises the practice and promotion of sorcery and witchcraft regardless of whether supernatural effects are real, reflecting the state’s concern with deception, exploitation and social harm. At the same time, individual cases show that accusations frequently expose unequal power within families or employer–employee relationships, making them important not only as legal stories but also as examples of how fear and suspicion can reshape ordinary domestic life.[Ministry of Justice UAE]moj.gov.aeلمتحدةMay 23, 2021…Published: May 23, 2021

How accusations began inside ordinary homes

Many reported UAE cases begin not with dramatic events but with subtle changes in family relationships. A spouse may believe their partner’s behaviour has altered inexplicably. An employer may become convinced that a domestic worker is responsible for illness, fatigue or household conflict. Financial losses, infertility, repeated arguments or bad luck can all become interpreted through a framework in which intentional supernatural harm seems plausible.

Because these experiences are emotionally powerful but difficult to explain, attention often turns to ambiguous physical objects. Police reports and court cases have described investigations triggered by discoveries such as:

None of these objects proves that supernatural effects occurred. Rather, they become important because they are interpreted within existing religious and cultural beliefs or because they suggest someone was attempting to perform rituals prohibited by law. Courts therefore focus on evidence of the accused person’s conduct rather than attempting to establish whether magic “worked”.[gulfnews.com]gulfnews.comGulf NewsHousemaid jailed in Dubai for trying to practise black magic on her employerApril 7, 2022…Published: April 7, 2022

Domestic workers and unequal power

One of the most sensitive features of UAE sorcery allegations is the position of migrant domestic workers. Housemaids, nannies and cleaners often live inside employers’ homes while occupying a legally and economically dependent position. This imbalance can shape both genuine complaints and false suspicions.

A widely reported Dubai case involved an employer who became convinced that her housemaid was using witchcraft after discovering unusual materials in her room and messages seeking ritual assistance from relatives abroad. Prosecutors stated that the maid admitted asking for rituals intended to improve her employer’s treatment of her and to protect her marriage, while denying malicious intentions. The court imposed imprisonment followed by deportation under the relevant law.[Gulf News]gulfnews.comGulf NewsHousemaid jailed in Dubai for trying to practise black magic on her employerApril 7, 2022…Published: April 7, 2022

Cases like this illustrate several overlapping issues:

These realities make it difficult to separate deliberate fraud, prohibited ritual practice, misunderstanding and interpersonal mistrust simply by examining household objects.

When family disputes reached the courts

Court cases show that sorcery allegations often accompany broader family conflict rather than standing alone.

In one Fujairah case, a husband was convicted after attempting to use self-described sorcerers to reconcile with his estranged wife. According to court findings, he shared private photographs with someone claiming supernatural powers and paid substantial sums in pursuit of rituals intended to restore the marriage. The case combined allegations of sorcery with privacy violations and cybercrime rather than treating supernatural claims in isolation.[Gulf News]gulfnews.comGulf NewsFujairah Court upholds sentence for man who used sorcery to win back wifeJune 18, 2025…Published: June 18, 2025

Family court judgments also show that accusations of sorcery sometimes appear alongside claims of emotional abuse, abandonment or domestic conflict. In these proceedings, allegations may form part of a wider narrative explaining why a marriage has become intolerable. Courts evaluate them within the broader evidence presented instead of automatically accepting them as factual explanations for family breakdown.[eLaws]elaws.moj.gov.aee Laws Cassation NoCassation NoAugust 30, 2021…Published: August 30, 2021

These examples suggest that sorcery accusations frequently function as indicators of already damaged relationships rather than their original cause.

Fraud, conflict and disputed evidence

Perhaps the most consistent pattern in UAE reporting is the close relationship between sorcery allegations and fraud.

Police repeatedly warn residents about individuals who promise to:

Investigations have uncovered suspects charging thousands of dirhams for these services while using ritual objects, symbolic writing and theatrical performances to convince clients of their supernatural abilities. Many victims approach such practitioners during periods of emotional vulnerability, particularly following marital difficulties or financial hardship.[adpolice.gov.ae]adpolice.gov.aeOpen source on adpolice.gov.ae.

This emphasis helps explain why UAE law does not require proof that supernatural powers exist. The offence focuses instead on practising, promoting or exploiting claims of sorcery in ways prohibited by legislation, whether the conduct is presented as genuine or fraudulent.[Ministry of Justice UAE]moj.gov.aeلمتحدةMay 23, 2021…Published: May 23, 2021

Why ordinary objects became persuasive

Household sorcery accusations reveal an important feature of human reasoning under uncertainty. Objects acquire meaning through context.

A folded piece of paper may appear meaningless until it is discovered after a family dispute. Incense may seem ordinary until someone associates it with unexplained illness. A doll becomes suspicious because it appears alongside text messages discussing rituals.

Psychologists studying belief and attribution note that people naturally search for patterns when confronting emotionally significant but difficult-to-explain events. Within households already marked by mistrust, ambiguous discoveries can appear to confirm existing suspicions rather than being evaluated independently.

That does not mean complainants fabricate their fears. Many sincerely believe they have discovered evidence of deliberate harm. The challenge for investigators is distinguishing sincere belief from legally demonstrable conduct.

Why these cases matter

Sorcery accusations inside UAE homes reveal more than beliefs about the supernatural. They expose tensions over authority, migration, marriage and trust within private domestic spaces.

Unlike historical witch panics involving entire communities, UAE cases usually remain individual disputes handled through police investigations and the courts. They do not demonstrate a nationwide moral panic or organised persecution. Instead, they illustrate how deeply personal anxieties—about loyalty, illness, marriage or household relationships—can become attached to symbolic objects that appear to offer concrete proof.

The enduring significance of these cases lies less in evidence that supernatural harm occurred than in what they reveal about unequal household power, the vulnerability of people seeking solutions to personal crises, and the legal system’s effort to address fraud and prohibited practices while navigating beliefs that many participants hold sincerely.

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Endnotes

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Link:https://www.moj.gov.ae/ar/media-center/news/23/5/2021/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A8%D8%B3-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%AD%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%B0%D8%A9.aspx

Published: May 23, 2021

2. Source: gulfnews.com
Title: Gulf News UAE Public Prosecution warns against acts of sorcery and witchcraft
Link:https://gulfnews.com/living-in-uae/ask-us/uae-public-prosecution-warns-against-acts-of-sorcery-and-witchcraft-1.1621876292425

3. Source: gulfnews.com
Link:https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/housemaid-jailed-in-dubai-for-trying-to-practise-black-magic-on-her-employer-1.87028080

Published: April 7, 2022

4. Source: adpolice.gov.ae
Link:https://www.adpolice.gov.ae/en/Media-Center/News/2021/06/29/The-Sorcerer-Claimed-That-He-Can-Bring-Hearts-Together-by-Stitching-Names-with-a-Needle-and-a-Thread

5. Source: gulfnews.com
Link:https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/fujairah-court-upholds-sentence-for-man-who-used-sorcery-to-win-back-wife-1.500167934

Published: June 18, 2025

6. Source: elaws.moj.gov.ae
Title: e Laws Cassation No
Link:https://elaws.moj.gov.ae/UAE-MOJ_CC-En/00_2021/04_Judgements%20of%20the%20Personal%20Status%20Circuits/UAE-CC-En_2021-08-30_00246_Taan.html

Published: August 30, 2021

7. Source: gulfnews.com
Title: Gulf News Two held for practising sorcery
Link:https://gulfnews.com/amp/story/uae%2Fcrime%2Ftwo-held-for-practising-sorcery-1.1286585

8. Source: gulfnews.com
Title: Gulf News’Black magicians’ continue to prey on residents
Link:https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/black-magicians-continue-to-prey-on-residents-1.331986

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Link:https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1529%26quot

Published: June 26, 2026

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Title: www.gov.uk Report of the Inquiry into the Death of Jalal Uddin (accessible)
Link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inquiry-report-into-the-death-of-jalal-uddin/report-of-the-inquiry-into-the-death-of-jalal-uddin-accessible

12. Source: gulfnews.com
Title: Four women held for practising witchcraft
Link:https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/four-women-held-for-practising-witchcraft-1.1097499

13. Source: adpolice.gov.ae
Link:https://www.adpolice.gov.ae/en/Media-Center/News/2021/06/30/Two-African-individuals-claim-to-solve-marital-differences-with-human-locks-of-hair-and-talisman-jug

Additional References

14. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oftpXDhxPg

15. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO6Rf-Pzyqo

16. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bnUrn8UNWA

17. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZVStZsBWwA

18. Source: researchgate.net
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363100555_almwajht_aljnayyt_ljraym_alshr_walshwdht_fy_qanwn_alqwbat_alamaraty_drast_thlylyt_mqarnt

19. Source: khaleejtimes.com
Link:https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/crime/dubai-maid-jailed-for-practising-witchcraft-using-black-magic-on-employer

20. Source: sersc.org
Link:https://sersc.org/journals/index.php/IJAST/article/view/4203

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23. Source: khaleejtimes.com
Link:https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/crime/dubai-maid-jailed-for-practising-witchcraft-to-control-her-employer