Why Witchcraft Scares Keep Returning in Bahrain

Introduction

Modern witchcraft scares in Bahrain rarely begin with dramatic accusations against named individuals. More often, they start with the discovery of mysterious objects: folded papers covered in unfamiliar writing, talismans, bundles containing eggs or coins, or other items believed by some people to be connected with sorcery. Once photographs of these objects circulate, they can quickly become the focus of public concern, political demands and media attention.

These episodes are less about proving that supernatural acts occurred than about how ambiguous physical evidence acquires social meaning. Objects whose purpose cannot easily be verified become interpreted through existing religious beliefs, family anxieties and fears of fraud. The result is a recurring pattern in which uncertain discoveries lead to calls for investigation, tougher laws and greater public vigilance, even when the intentions behind the objects remain impossible to establish with certainty.

Objects Found at Budaiya and Barbar Cemetery

The best-known Bahraini examples involve discoveries of bundles or written materials that residents associated with witchcraft.

In 2015, residents at Budaiya Fishermen’s Port reported finding dozens of folded papers washed ashore. The papers reportedly contained names, symbols and handwritten text that local people believed had been used in magical rituals before being thrown into the sea. Residents gathered and destroyed the materials after notifying their parliamentary representative, who called for increased security around ports, greater public awareness and stronger legislation against sorcery.[News of Bahrain]newsofbahrain.comNews of BahrainStrange objects used in witchcraft washed Bahrain ashore | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAINNovember 9, 2015…Published: November 9, 2015

Reports from the same area described earlier incidents in which local residents intercepted people throwing wrapped objects into the sea at dawn or sunset. According to those reports, the bundles contained combinations of eggs, coins, plants, clothing and written papers. Their symbolic appearance, rather than any scientifically demonstrable property, made them alarming to observers who already associated such objects with harmful magic.[News of Bahrain]newsofbahrain.comNews of BahrainStrange objects used in witchcraft washed Bahrain ashore | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAINNovember 9, 2015…Published: November 9, 2015

Similar claims have periodically surfaced elsewhere in Bahrain. Local media have reported discoveries of alleged talismans or written charms near cemeteries, including the Barbar Cemetery area. In these cases, the objects themselves generally receive more attention than any identified practitioner. Their uncertain origin allows rumours to flourish because observers cannot easily determine whether they were part of genuine occult practice, religious folk customs, deliberate fraud, vandalism or simply misunderstood debris.

An important point is that archaeological and religious sites around Barbar already possess deep historical significance. The nearby ancient Barbar Temples are among Bahrain’s most important archaeological monuments, dating back to the Dilmun civilisation. Their existence sometimes contributes to popular associations between ancient places and mysterious practices, even though there is no evidence that modern discoveries of alleged talismans are connected with the prehistoric temples themselves.[Culture Bahrain]culture.gov.bhCulture BahrainBahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities - Kingdom of Bahrain | Destinations…

How Rumours and Alarming Images Spread

These episodes demonstrate a recurring mechanism rather than a single panic.

The process usually follows several stages:

Because folded papers, knots, handwritten symbols and wrapped bundles are visually unusual, photographs often have considerable emotional impact. Few members of the public can independently determine what the objects actually are, so interpretation depends heavily on existing beliefs.

This is a classic example of ambiguous evidence producing certainty in public discussion. The physical objects are real, but their purpose often remains unknowable. For some observers they represent malicious sorcery; for others they are examples of deception or superstition; still others regard them as harmless ritual objects removed from their original context.

Recent examples also illustrate another feature of modern rumour cycles: recycled images. In 2026, Bahraini media reported that photographs circulating online as evidence of newly discovered witchcraft talismans at Budaiya actually included images originating from websites in Yemen. The correction did not prevent renewed public discussion but demonstrated how easily dramatic photographs can become detached from their original setting and reused to reinforce existing fears.[صحيفة الوطن]alwatannews.netالدوسري يحذر من تمائم سحر وشعوذة على ساحل البديعصحيفة الوطنالدوسري يحذر من تمائم سحر وشعوذة على ساحل البديع | صحيفة الوطنApril 16, 2026…Published: April 16, 2026

Why These Objects Generate Such Anxiety

The objects themselves are rarely dangerous in any physical sense. Their importance comes from what they are believed to represent.

Several overlapping concerns shape public reactions.

Religious belief. Many Bahrainis, like many Muslims elsewhere, accept that sorcery can exist while also condemning attempts to practise or seek it. Consequently, objects believed to be connected with magic may be treated as morally threatening even when no criminal offence has yet been established.[Gulf News]gulfnews.comGulf News Bahrain: Couple jailed for sorcery and blackmail appeal sentenceGulf NewsBahrain: Couple jailed for sorcery and blackmail appeal sentenceJune 22, 2020…Published: June 22, 2020

Family conflict. Stories about magical objects often involve fears of broken marriages, infertility, financial problems or unexplained illness. Because these are already emotionally charged experiences, the discovery of a supposed talisman can appear to offer an explanation for personal misfortune.

Fear of deception. Public concern is not limited to supernatural beliefs. Bahraini courts have repeatedly dealt with cases in which self-proclaimed healers or sorcerers obtained money, valuables or sexual access through fraudulent claims about breaking spells or removing curses. These criminal cases reinforce the perception that suspicious ritual objects may be connected with exploitation rather than merely unusual beliefs.[Gulf News]gulfnews.comGulf News Bahrain: Couple jailed for sorcery and blackmail appeal sentenceGulf NewsBahrain: Couple jailed for sorcery and blackmail appeal sentenceJune 22, 2020…Published: June 22, 2020

Belief, Fraud and Family Anxiety

The most documented harms linked to Bahrain’s witchcraft scares come not from proven supernatural activity but from fraud, coercion and social mistrust.

Investigations reported by Bahraini newspapers have described individuals paying substantial sums for supposed spiritual treatments or curse removal. In some cases, victims surrendered jewellery, vehicles, land or large amounts of money after being convinced that hidden magical forces threatened their families. Courts have treated these cases primarily as fraud and exploitation rather than attempts to determine whether supernatural claims were true.[Gulf News]gulfnews.comGulf News Bahrain: Couple jailed for sorcery and blackmail appeal sentenceGulf NewsBahrain: Couple jailed for sorcery and blackmail appeal sentenceJune 22, 2020…Published: June 22, 2020

Media investigations have similarly highlighted how alleged practitioners often exploit vulnerable people experiencing grief, illness or marital problems. Specialists interviewed by Bahraini journalists have argued that many supposed magical services rely on psychological manipulation, financial pressure and confirmation bias rather than demonstrable paranormal ability.[Al Wasat News]alwasatnews.comصحيفة الوسط البحرينية - مملكة البحرين…

The recurring discovery of mysterious objects therefore interacts with a wider social concern: if people believe that curses or talismans are real, they may become easier targets for individuals claiming to remove them.

Official Responses

Government and political responses have generally concentrated on public order and fraud rather than investigating supernatural claims themselves.

Members of parliament have repeatedly proposed stronger penalties against commercial witchcraft and sorcery, while local representatives have called for increased monitoring of ports and coastal areas where suspicious objects have been found.[News of Bahrain]newsofbahrain.comNews of BahrainStrange objects used in witchcraft washed Bahrain ashore | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAINNovember 9, 2015…Published: November 9, 2015

Bahrain’s legal system also criminalises the professional practice of sorcery, fortune-telling and related activities carried out for financial gain. In practice, prosecutions have typically centred on deception, unlawful profit and associated offences rather than proving the existence of magical powers.[القانون في الخليج]lawingulf.comالقانون في الخليججريمة السحر والشعوذة في القانون البحرينيالقانون في الخليججريمة السحر والشعوذة في القانون البحريني

Why the Scares Keep Returning

The repeated appearance of witchcraft scares in Bahrain reflects a stable social mechanism rather than a series of isolated incidents.

Ambiguous objects possess several qualities that make them unusually effective triggers of public concern. They are visually striking, difficult for non-specialists to interpret and easily photographed for online circulation. Existing religious beliefs provide ready-made explanations, while genuine criminal cases involving fraudulent spiritual healers reinforce public suspicion that hidden networks of sorcery may exist.

At the same time, careful examination of these episodes shows that certainty is often greater than the available evidence justifies. The objects are real, but their purpose frequently remains unknown. Some may indeed have been created for ritual use, while others may have unrelated origins or become misidentified as rumours spread.

For that reason, Bahrain’s recurring witchcraft scares are best understood not as evidence of proven supernatural activity but as examples of how uncertain objects, widely shared images and deeply rooted cultural beliefs combine to produce recurring waves of public alarm.

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to Why Witchcraft Scares Keep Returning in Bahrain. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

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The Demon-Haunted World

By Carl Sagan

Explores belief, evidence and extraordinary claims.

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A history of the Arab peoples

By Albert Habib Hourani, Albert Hourani et al.

First published 1991. Subjects: Arab countries, Historia, History, open_syllabus_project, Arabs.

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The Righteous Mind

By Jonathan Haidt

First published 2012. Subjects: Political psychology, Social psychology, Ethics, Religious Psychology, nyt:combined-print-and-e-book-nonf...

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Magic, witchcraft, and religion

By Pamela Moro, James Myers et al.

First published 2006. Subjects: Religion, Occultism.

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Browse more on Amazon:The Demon Haunted WorldA history of the Arab peoplesThe Righteous Mind

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Endnotes

1. Source: newsofbahrain.com
Link:https://www.newsofbahrain.com/bahrain/8428.html

Published: November 9, 2015

2. Source: culture.gov.bh
Link:https://www.culture.gov.bh/en/visitingbahrain/CulturalTourism/Destinations/Name%2C10329%2Cen.php

3. Source: alwatannews.net
Title: الدوسري يحذر من تمائم سحر وشعوذة على ساحل البديع
Link:https://alwatannews.net/article/552822/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%B0%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%85-%D8%B3%D8%AD%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%B4%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%B0%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B9

Published: April 16, 2026

4. Source: gulfnews.com
Title: Gulf News Bahrain: Couple jailed for sorcery and blackmail appeal sentence
Link:https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/bahrain/bahrain-couple-jailed-for-sorcery-and-blackmail-appeal-sentence-1.72172679

Published: June 22, 2020

5. Source: alwasatnews.com
Link:https://www.alwasatnews.com/news/1228446.html

6. Source: lawingulf.com
Title: القانون في الخليججريمة السحر والشعوذة في القانون البحريني
Link:https://www.lawingulf.com/2024/08/the-crime-of-witchcraft-and-sorcery-in-bahraini-law.html

7. Source: policemc.gov.bh
Title: Northern Governorate Police arrested a woman for stealing gold jewellery
Link:https://www.policemc.gov.bh/en/news/71749/

8. Source: gulfnews.com
Title: Kuwaiti woman arrested for practicing witchcraft and sorcery
Link:https://gulfnews.com/amp/story/world%2Fgulf%2Fkuwait%2Fkuwaiti-woman-arrested-for-practicing-witchcraft-and-sorcery-1.500232367

9. Source: newsofbahrain.com
Link:https://www.newsofbahrain.com/bahrain/99456.html

10. Source: newsofbahrain.com
Link:https://www.newsofbahrain.com/bahrain/91441.html

11. Source: newsofbahrain.com
Link:https://www.newsofbahrain.com/bahrain/75971.html

12. Source: gulfnews.com
Title: Dubai foils attempts to smuggle witchcraft items
Link:https://gulfnews.com/amp/story/uae%2Fdubai-foils-attempts-to-smuggle-witchcraft-items-1.79233525

13. Source: culture.gov.bh
Title: Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities
Link:https://culture.gov.bh/en/mediacenter/news_center/2021/April2021/Name%2C19341%2Cen.html

14. Source: alwasatnews.com
Title: أهالي النويدرات يشكون نبش الكلاب الضالة القبور بمقبرة القرية | البحرين
Link:https://www.alwasatnews.com/news/1170800.html

15. Source: publications.parliament.uk
Link:https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmfaff/writev/bahrain/sab48.htm

16. Source: alwasatnews.com
Title: العريض: البحرين بحاجة إلى نصٍّ صريح لتجريم أعمال «السحر والشعوذة» | محليات
Link:https://www.alwasatnews.com/news/377075.html

Additional References

17. Source: gdnonline.com
Link:https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1339540/EXCLUSIVE-MPs-launch-probe-into-revival-of-witchcraft-style-practices

Published: May 31, 2026

18. Source: youtube.com
Title: Witchcraft Can’t Touch You If You Know These 5 Things | ISLAM
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YMaRnx2Lms

19. Source: youtube.com
Title: Jinn, Black Magic & Taweez
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_R5bZ3D5fk

20. Source: youtube.com
Title: Islamic Magic: Shams al-Ma’arif (Talismans and Seals)
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alnnmI-6T0M

21. Source: gdnonline.com
Link:https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1339540/MPs-launch-probe-into-revival-of-witchcraft-style-practices

22. Source: youtube.com
Title: Jinn & Black Magic
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPOOj3xLBpM

23. Source: gulf-insider.com
Title: Bahrain: Sorcery Scam-Exploiting Trust for Financial Gain
Link:https://www.gulf-insider.com/bahrain-sorcery-scam-exploiting-trust-for-financial-gain/

24. Source: albiladpress.com
Link:https://www.albiladpress.com/news/2023/5373/bahrain/815653.html

25. Source: bahrainmirror.com
Title: هكذا ولهذه الأسباب تمتّ سرقة “مقبرة السادة” في توبلي
Link:https://www.bahrainmirror.com/news/62560.html

26. Source: youtube.com
Title: POWERFUL RUQYAH DUA TO DESTROY THE BLACK MAGIC & SIHR
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS1D7MWQl0I