Sevara and her husband of four years have separated after many
arguments over what she calls his inability to hold down a job.
The two are no longer on speaking terms, and Sevara is searching for
answers to her problems from a fortune teller, who lives near her home
in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.
"She told me someone put a hex on us to destroy our marriage. It makes
sense," says the 33-year-old nursery-school teacher, whose name was
changed to protect her identity.
Sevara has been visiting her trusty soothsayer once a week, paying the
equivalent of $5 each time to "remove the spell." But the fortune
teller recently stopped seeing clients after she was warned by police,
Sevara said.
Tajik authorities have intensified raids targeting fortune tellers and
faith healers in recent months amid a new government clampdown on the
centuries-old practices.
The Central Asian country's president, Emomali Rahmon, said last month
that law-enforcement agencies have detained 1,500 people engaged in
"witchcraft and fortune telling" and more than 5,000 "semiliterate
mullahs," a Tajik euphemism for faith healers.
Rahmon said the measures took place on his orders, but he did not
elaborate on the timespan during which the 6,500 arrests had taken
place.
According to an Interior Ministry report dated August 24, more than 150
soothsayers were detained in that month alone.
Police and state media regularly publish the names and photos of
alleged healers and occult practitioners detained in the raids. TV
channels often then air their "confessions."
In an unprecedented move, police are now registering fortune tellers,
faith healers, and their clients to keep a tab on them and their
activities.
Soothsaying is also banned under Islam, to which the overwhelming
majority of Tajikistan's some 10 million citizens adhere.
Soothsaying is also banned under Islam, to which the overwhelming
majority of Tajikistan's some 10 million citizens adhere.
In June, Tajikistan introduced tougher punishments for fortune-telling,
which has been outlawed since 2008.
First-time offenders face a misdemeanor charge, punishable by a fine or
up to 15 days in jail. Repeat offenses, however, are considered
criminal and punishable by a fine of up to $13,500 or two years in
prison.
Soothsaying is also banned in Islam, to which the overwhelming majority
of Tajikistan's some 10 million citizens adhere.
Blurred Lines
In Tajikistan, most fortune tellers also offer to "cure" the sick with
so-called remedies based on traditional and religious beliefs, blurring
the line between occult and faith healing.
There are also thousands of others who only practice faith healing,
although many of them have little or no religious education or medical
training, according to police.
The law does not prohibit faith healing, but dozens of people who
practice it have been charged with other crimes, such as fraud.
Several male faith healers were jailed for molesting their female
clients during their alleged healing rites.
Authorities released purported video of [1]such incidents that were
allegedly recorded by hidden cameras.
Most of those who seek help from soothsayers and faith healers are
women.
Some sought-after soothsayers in Dushanbe have claimed in the past that
their customers include family members of high-ranking government
officials, seeking help on behalf of their relatives. RFE/RL cannot
independently confirm that report.
No Shortage Of Clients
Despite being banned both by law and religion, fortune tellers in
Tajikistan's conservative society have no shortage of clients who want
a glimpse of the future and more.
According to several people who spoke to RFE/RL, customers often come
to fortune tellers to cast a spell that would stop their spouses from
leaving them, to make their businesses flourish, or prevent a relative
standing trial from going to jail.
Fortune tellers and faith healers charge anywhere from an equivalent of
$2 to several hundred dollars, depending on their popularity and
location.
In the southern city of Bokhtar, a popular fortune teller has been
named among those briefly detained and warned by police. But his
trusted regulars continue to visit him discreetly, according to one his
customers.
A collection of prayer beads, money, and other items confiscated from
Tajik fortune tellers and faith healers in April
A collection of prayer beads, money, and other items confiscated from
Tajik fortune tellers and faith healers in April
"He has stopped accepting clients, but I and several others still go to
him when we want, pretending to be a friend or a relative," the woman
said on condition of anonymity.
Another client described her visits to soothsayers as "the only thing
that makes [her] calm down and deal with emotions" that are running
high amid a marriage crisis.
While Tajikistan is the only country in Central Asia to have banned
fortune-telling, some neighboring states have also taken steps to
restrict the practice.
Turkmenistan and [2]Kyrgyzstan prohibited the advertisement of occult
services, in 2016 and 2024, respectively.
Turkmen security services also conduct unannounced [3]raids on fortune
tellers' homes, demanding they get work permits and pay taxes based on
their earnings.
Many ordinary Tajiks criticize the authorities for their "misplaced
priority," saying the government should instead tackle more pressing
issues such as unemployment, inflation, and a severe shortage of
electricity in the country.
"We get just a few hours of electricity a day and we have to [go and]
work in Russia to feed our families, but our government is chasing
fortune tellers," a resident of the northern city of Khujand told
RFE/RL on condition of anonymity. "It should instead focus on improving
people's lives."
References
1.
https://www.rferl.org/a/tajikistan-demand-for-exorcisms-on-the-rise-/32829630.html
2.
https://www.azattyk.org/a/33200159.html
3.
https://rus.azathabar.com/a/32345255.html
