Dubai: In an awareness post shared by the UAE’s Public Prosecution on its official social media channels, people in the UAE have been warned against practising, promoting or assisting in any act of sorcery or witchcraft in the country, as it is strictly against the UAE’s penal code.
The message, which was posted on May 22, the authority informed people of the Article 316 (bis) 1 and (bis) 2 of the UAE Penal Code, which lays down the punishment for acts of sorcery or witchcraft.
What is considered sorcery?
According to the law, the use of words or actions that are in violation of the Islamic Shariah with the aim of influencing the body, heart, mind or will of others, either directly or indirectly, whether it is real or an illusion is considered as sorcery.
Witchcraft, on the other hand, refers to any acts that involve optical illusions or controlling the minds or hearts of people in any way to induce them to see things that are not true with the aim of exploiting them or influencing their beliefs or minds. It also includes the act of claiming to have magical prescience, knowledge of secrets or conscience reading in any way, with the aim of exploiting people.
What is the penalty?
According to the law, any person who practises acts of sorcery or witchcraft, whether they are true or deceptive, with or without consideration shall be punished by a jail sentence and a fine of not less than Dh50,000. The court shall order that a convicted foreigner be expelled from the State.
In all cases, the court shall order confiscation of the things seized.
The law also lays down the punishment for those who are involved with or support such acts. According to the law, a person shall be punished by a jail sentence and/or a fine or if he or she:
1. Seeks the assistance of a magician with the aim to influence the body, heart, mind or will of others;
2. Brings or imports to the State, having possession, acquiring or disposing by any means of disposition of books, talismans, materials or tools intended for sorcery or witchcraft.
3. Promotes by any means, the acts of sorcery or witchcraft.
As reported by Gulf News, Khalid Ahmad, director of Passengers Operations Management at Terminal 1, said that officers seized such objects weighing 68.4kg between 2018 to 2020 in 35 smuggling attempts.
1- Any person who practises acts of sorcery or witchcraft acts, whether are true or deceptive, with or without consideration shall be punished by a jail sentence and a fine of not less than fifty thousand dirhams.
2- Shall be considered to be acts of sorcery: The use of words or actions in violation of the Islamic Sharia with the aim to influence the body, heart, mind or will of others, either directly or indirectly, and whether it is real or an illusion.
3- Shall be considered to be as witchcraft acts:
a- Acts involving optical illusion or controlling minds or hearts of people in any way to induce them to see things that are not true with the aim of exploiting them or influencing their beliefs or minds.
b- Claiming to have magical prescience, knowledge of secrets or conscience reading in any way with the aim of exploiting people.
4- The court shall order that the foreigner convict be expelled from the State.
5- In all cases the court shall order confiscation of the things seized.
Article 316 (bis) (2)
Shall be punished by a jail sentence and a fine or by either one of these two penalties, any person who:
1- Seeks the assistance of a magician with the aim to influence the body, heart, mind or will of others.
2- Bringing or importing to the State, having possession, acquiring or disposing by any means of disposition of books, talismans, materials or tools intended for sorcery or witchcraft.
3- Promoting by any means acts of sorcery or witchcraft acts.
