Witchcraft. The business of “Tab3a”

“One day, Amal suddenly interrupted her studies in business management when her career looked very promising. The suitors who hovered around her with a view to marrying her all ended up disappearing without apparent cause. Over time, she lost her joy of living. She became acerbic, withered and preferred to be left alone. Everyone around us said that her beauty and her intelligence had caused her misfortune and had attracted the evil eye. Looking back, I believe they were right. This could only be true in view of his current state ”adds the young woman, death in the soul. A sad story that describes his sister’s descent into hell because of “Tab3a”.

Stubborn bad luck

Just like Zineb, Younes. S firmly believes that the persistence of his problems is the fruit of this tab3a which has followed him since his childhood. “I was such a cute child and my mother always told me how I was regularly the victim of serious accidents following our family visits, family reunions and other celebrations. According to her, I always attracted the evil eye. Once I almost died after being hit by a car in front of our house. Another time, I fell off my uncle’s terrace on my head. I found myself in a coma for several days without speaking. Open forehead, bloody face, broken leg (…) Younes no longer counts the unfortunate incidents of which he has been the victim. This 32-year-old taxi driver from Casablanca says he repeatedly missed his calling because of Tab3a.

Bad luck, misfortunes, failures… tab3a is singled out

“I’ve always loved music, I studied in the subject but it never worked despite my talent. I was also good at school, but one day I decided to quit everything for no reason, much to the dismay of my parents,” he adds bitterly. But the young man’s worst “failure” remains this work contract in Italy that his aunt had found for him and which ended up escaping him for lack of a valid passport. “Not to mention my romantic relationships which were to lead to marriage and which unfortunately ended at the last minute,” says the taxi driver. For him, it is certain that all this is the direct consequence of this tenacious tab3a. His share of responsibility in this story? “I assure you that I had nothing to do with it! I do my best, I persist and I try to succeed in what I undertake, but it’s always stronger than me. Sometimes it even becomes mind-blowing. Around me, everyone has understood that I am “metbou3”” he resigns himself.

juicy business

Amal, Younes, men or women, the names and people differ but this belief of being a victim of the evil eye is very widespread among Moroccans. A tour on social networks, especially on Youtube is enough to realize this. Channels with thousands or even millions of subscribers cheerfully offer remedies to victims of tab3a to heal themselves, escape its grip or even protect themselves against it. If the Raquis, them, advise Koranic verses and other holy water to protect themselves from it, other “prescribers” put forward solutions that are neither more nor less akin to charlatanism: Magical recipes based on plants and other potions , behaviors to adopt, hair and nail samples from the victim’s body… so many “guaranteed” methods that the presenters of these channels claim to have experienced.

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tab3a, a lucrative business for superstition “traders”

“With this technique that many people have experienced, I assure you that you will get rid of tab3a and its harmful influence on your life and your work” assures Oum Yassine on her Youtube channel, promising a 180° change. If the woman offers solutions, other facilitators make diagnoses and indicate the means of detecting her tab3a by doubling their ingenuity. “8 signs indicating that you are a victim of tab3a”, “5 symptoms revealing that you are “metbou3″”… so many enticing titles on Youtube, Instagram and even Facebook to attract the audience and increase the number of views. A glance at the counter of these pages tells us that their audience is very large. If some have thousands of views, others reach millions with comments of thanks and testimonials affirming the effectiveness of the recipes offered.

Sacred “Oum Sebiane”

Erected as a real “science”, the treatment of tab3a or “Oum Sebiane” (The mother of the children) sometimes goes beyond simple advice given on social networks. Some “prescribers”, raqui or holder of “potions” even indicate their telephone numbers for personalized consultations… for a fee of course! A way to take advantage of their “knowledge” which is already profitable by the large number of views on Youtube. Some, while giving their anti-tab3a advice, proudly display, in the background, such as the raqui Mourad Boudhoum, their silver Youtube trophies, proof of a large audience.

“Khalti Chirifia L3chaba”, she conducts a particular trade based on “concoctions of medicinal plants and herbs” against evil spells and evil spirits. A magic potion to apply on the body and a “bakhour” (incense) at 150 Dhs for 125g each. Contacted by phone, she reassured us about the effectiveness of her remedy, delivered to your home via Amana from Agadir “after payment by bank transfer of course! “. A profitable business and a godsend for these self-proclaimed “scholars”, especially when one ignores the true composition of this pseudo-remedy and its true cost.

The power of superstition

But how can people believe in the evil Tab3a and by extension in the solutions offered by its “traders”? “Any superstitious belief is a cultural production of men. It responds only very indirectly to the principle of reality” affirms Mehdi Boussaid, researcher in sociology. The latter explains to us that it sometimes happens that this belief “works” from factors which do not constitute its origin but which are used to justify it. “Certain biological and psychological phenomena occur by giving the illusion, to these people, that the superstitious facts are quite real. A logic of explanation of the real which is sufficient in itself and which does not take into account the scientific models and the principle of refutability” he adds.

The power of superstitious beliefs

According to the latter, superstition is also a social production that transcends the individual issue of control of the environment and of one’s own destiny. “Rejecting on others, on spells or other malevolent spirits, the cause of one’s failures and misfortunes has something comforting about it. We are in no way responsible for what happens to us, we are a simple victim”, this is what the concept of tab3a really means and the dynamics it generates around it” analyzes the researcher. A belief that continues to reassure tormented minds while generating profit for the “professionals” of tab3a.

Maintenance

Dr Mostafa Massid

clinical psychologist

“We believe in tab3a to reassure ourselves”

Dr Mostafa Massid

L’Observateur du Maroc et d’Afrique: How to explain the strength of this superstition and its rooting in people’s minds?

Dr. Mostafa Massid: This is indeed a superstition that affects a large number of people, not only here but all over the world. Faced with the adversity of a life that we sometimes perceive as chaotic or threatening, we feel the need to rely, more or less intensely, on objects, habits or rituals that allow us to face daily life and to protect against it. This is what hides behind any typical belief including tab3a. Present in all cultures in one form or another, superstitions, almost indifferent to time, space and the progress of science, are linked to human nature. Superstition is a human characteristic that falls within the register of unconscious defense reactions. It corresponds to the irrational belief in a causal link between an action or an event and happy or unhappy “consequences”: The fact of crossing a black cat causes misfortune, crossing your fingers or touching wood favors luck, being touched by the evil eye causes bad luck, etc.

This belief is becoming more and more widespread. Could the health and economic crisis have something to do with it?

As we have seen, superstition is an unconscious defensive reaction that serves to reassure, to protect the individual against a possible threat. The health and economic crisis constitutes a real threat of this fact this traumatic situation leads a good number of people to behaviors by which they are directed towards beliefs and practices often irrational. That said, superstition is not always negative. It is simply certain beliefs that populate the mind. However, it can become a real problem if it reaches a certain level; When it accentuates the level of anxiety, lowers self-confidence and creates a dependency on unreliable practices and objects.

Isn’t it a lack of maturity to blame one’s misfortunes and failures on others or on the evil eye? Aren’t we losing our responsibilities?

Immaturity perhaps, but depending so heavily on an object or behavior is a weakness that compromises our ability to get things done on our own. It’s an unconscious way of devaluing ourselves and blaming something or someone who, in reality, has nothing to do with it.

Is there a way to protect young people against this kind of belief?

The surest way is through education. A positive education, free from limiting beliefs, which helps to develop self-confidence and a sense of responsibility.