Wednesday, April 23, 2008 | Reason : In the News | print version

Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital

by Yahoo News UK

Thanks to Cheryl Daubney for the link.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080422/tod-uk-congo-democratic-witchcraft-cb1d00a.html

Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital
Reuters
By Joe Bavier

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Police in Congo have arrested 13 suspected sorcerers accused of using black magic to steal or shrink men's penises after a wave of panic and attempted lynchings triggered by the alleged witchcraft.

Reports of so-called penis snatching are not uncommon in West Africa, where belief in traditional religions and witchcraft remains widespread, and where ritual killings to obtain blood or body parts still occur.

Rumours of penis theft began circulating last week in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo's sprawling capital of some 8 million inhabitants. They quickly dominated radio call-in shows, with listeners advised to beware of fellow passengers in communal taxis wearing gold rings.

Purported victims, 14 of whom were also detained by police, claimed that sorcerers simply touched them to make their genitals shrink or disappear, in what some residents said was an attempt to extort cash with the promise of a cure.

"You just have to be accused of that, and people come after you. We've had a number of attempted lynchings. ... You see them covered in marks after being beaten," Kinshasa's police chief, Jean-Dieudonne Oleko, told Reuters on Tuesday.

Police arrested the accused sorcerers and their victims in an effort to avoid the sort of bloodshed seen in Ghana a decade ago, when 12 suspected penis snatchers were beaten to death by angry mobs. The 27 men have since been released.

"I'm tempted to say it's one huge joke," Oleko said.

"But when you try to tell the victims that their penises are still there, they tell you that it's become tiny or that they've become impotent. To that I tell them, 'How do you know if you haven't gone home and tried it'," he said.

Some Kinshasa residents accuse a separatist sect from nearby Bas-Congo province of being behind the witchcraft in revenge for a recent government crackdown on its members.

"It's real. Just yesterday here, there was a man who was a victim. We saw. What was left was tiny," said 29-year-old Alain Kalala, who sells phone credits near a Kinshasa police station.

(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/ )

(Editing by Nick Tattersall and Mary Gabriel)

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1. Comment #166612 by Border Collie on April 23, 2008 at 10:43 am

And lightyears to go before we sleep ...

Other Comments by Border Collie

2. Comment #166617 by rod-the-farmer on April 23, 2008 at 10:46 am

Great name for a rock group....The Penis Snatchers.... we couldn't make this stuff up.

Other Comments by rod-the-farmer

3. Comment #166619 by Cartomancer on April 23, 2008 at 10:46 am

This sounds like something straight out of a cultural anthropology textbook or an egyptian magical papyrus. How intellectually backwards can these poor benighted people be?

Still, penis theft does sound a rather amusing idea. I wonder what it is that the Congolese sorcerers need all those penises for? Maybe I'm in the wrong magical profession - all I get to play with are these boring old tarot cards...

Other Comments by Cartomancer

4. Comment #166620 by DamnDirtyApe on April 23, 2008 at 10:46 am

'We saw. What was left was tiny'

What, was there a before and after?

Other Comments by DamnDirtyApe

5. Comment #166632 by Lil_Xunzian on April 23, 2008 at 10:56 am

"Ho anthropos esti zoon logon ekhon." - Aristotle

Translation: "the human being is the animal in possession of reason."

I now see clearly that that is bullshit.

Other Comments by Lil_Xunzian

6. Comment #166633 by Bigorra on April 23, 2008 at 10:59 am

I know it's around here somewhere...

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7. Comment #166638 by Lil_Xunzian on April 23, 2008 at 11:01 am

"Gu ren Dao mo bu you bian" - Xunzi

Translation: "the cause of being-human entails [the activity of] positing distinctions."

I now see clearly that this is bullshit as well, as these people cannot posit a distinction between reality and nonsense.

Other Comments by Lil_Xunzian

8. Comment #166642 by hoops mccann on April 23, 2008 at 11:07 am

Cartomancer:
"This sounds like something straight out of a cultural anthropology textbook or an egyptian magical papyrus."

Or a Monty Python movie.

Other Comments by hoops mccann

9. Comment #166644 by Opisthokont on April 23, 2008 at 11:10 am

This sort of thing disgusts and depresses me. What scares me about it is that it is a massive argument in favour of active cultural imperialism: the imposition of cultural change by those who "know better" -- in this case, the scare quotes can come off! But how is education not exactly that? What other cure to this stupidity is there?

Other Comments by Opisthokont

10. Comment #166653 by Geoff on April 23, 2008 at 11:16 am

Just checking....

Nope, they've not got at mine yet...

oh, wait...

Other Comments by Geoff

11. Comment #166654 by WilliamP on April 23, 2008 at 11:17 am

This story is almost as ridiculous as the one about those people who wake up early on Sunday mornings to drink blood.

Other Comments by WilliamP

12. Comment #166668 by Azven on April 23, 2008 at 11:24 am

Give me the ocular proof!

Other Comments by Azven

13. Comment #166669 by Bluff_King_Hal on April 23, 2008 at 11:24 am

As it happens,

They used to think this happened in Europe too. I first read it in a novel,and thought it made up, but found it is in the Papal Malleus Maleficarum -"Hammer against Witches". It was thought the stolen penis could be kept alive by feeding it corn.

Folks might remember something a few years ago called the "Toronto Blessing" - a service that spread elsewhere briefly, including the UK. Adherents thought that their fillings were being turned into gold - some even thought the transformation confirmed by medical records (they werent) others explained the lack of confirmation by the fillings turning back.

The human capacity to consume bullshit is truly staggering.Makes you wonder how the hell we ever survived let alone prospered. Homo Sapiens my ass!

Other Comments by Bluff_King_Hal

14. Comment #166670 by SPS on April 23, 2008 at 11:24 am

I blame Hogwarts.

Other Comments by SPS

15. Comment #166672 by alovrin on April 23, 2008 at 11:24 am

"It's real. Just yesterday here, there was a man who was a victim. We saw. What was left was tiny,"

A man went into a police station and dropped his pants!
"A witchdoctor did this to me" he said.
The officers gathered around looking, but managed to refrain from pointing and sniggering. Then one finally summoned up the courage to ask the question that would relieve the tension and curiosity the officers felt.
"Which doctor?"

OK BAD JOKE!

Other Comments by alovrin

16. Comment #166726 by IainM on April 23, 2008 at 11:52 am

comment #166653
Very funny Geoff, until I checked my own. And I live in Africa
Equally funny, alovrin.

Other Comments by IainM

17. Comment #166727 by Serdan on April 23, 2008 at 11:53 am

The police chief seems like a reasonable fella. Imagine if he bought into this crap too. *shudders*

Now, for some logic: These idiots accuse others of being mighty "sorcerers", yet they then go out and chase down these "sorcerers" with the intent of beating them up. You would think that they would hesitate to do something like that if they really believed this shit. Surely, if a "sorcerer" can steal your penis he can do much worse as well.

So is it an excuse, or are they just that stupid?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003348293_congowitches05.html

Other Comments by Serdan

18. Comment #166735 by Azven on April 23, 2008 at 12:00 pm

Serdan

They're just that stupid.

Other Comments by Azven

19. Comment #166744 by will young on April 23, 2008 at 12:05 pm

The adult version of "I've got your nose!"

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20. Comment #166769 by RickM on April 23, 2008 at 12:22 pm

I'll rent mine out for a buck a stroke.

Other Comments by RickM

21. Comment #166827 by mikecbraun on April 23, 2008 at 12:51 pm

A brilliant new tactic to use instead of accepting or admitting your small manhood! "I swear, it was huge, destined to pleasure you for hours, but the waiter must have cast a spell on it at dinner! This is the third date ruined this month by penis sorcery!"

Other Comments by mikecbraun

22. Comment #166829 by AdrianB on April 23, 2008 at 12:51 pm

Anybody concerned about this is advised to spend as much time in cold water as possible.

Other Comments by AdrianB

23. Comment #166838 by MrPickwick on April 23, 2008 at 12:58 pm

Methinks this poor victims have probably been watching some Ben Stein production...

Other Comments by MrPickwick

24. Comment #166861 by mikecbraun on April 23, 2008 at 1:11 pm

MrPickwick, please change your avatar. It mesmerizes me. I'm just not ready to face the fact that watching Spider Man dance in a very effeminate way makes me giggle like a schoolgirl.

Other Comments by mikecbraun

25. Comment #166879 by Adam Morrison on April 23, 2008 at 1:23 pm

NEW DEVELOPMENT:

One of the accusors has recently withdrawn allegations against the cabbie quoted:

'I called for a taxi as I left the swimming pool...'

Other Comments by Adam Morrison

26. Comment #166902 by Phaeonix on April 23, 2008 at 1:34 pm

This reminds me of the Wizard's First Rule from Terry Goodkind's books.

"People will believe a lie either because they want to believe it's true or because they are afraid it might be true."

In it, the First Wizard Zedd makes people believe they are missing their penises.

Other Comments by Phaeonix

27. Comment #166925 by annabanana on April 23, 2008 at 1:45 pm

MrPickwick,

Is that the dance from Napoleon Dynamite that Spiderman is performing in your avatar?

Other Comments by annabanana

28. Comment #166930 by al-rawandi on April 23, 2008 at 1:50 pm

Here is my theory.

There was some guy who hooked up with a woman from another tribe. She was disappointed with his "equipment"... And he said "Don't blame me, Mumbasso the witch doctor man shrunk it."

Then they tried to lynch Mumbasso.

Anyone care to hazard a guess?

Other Comments by al-rawandi

29. Comment #166966 by Quetzalcoatl on April 23, 2008 at 2:11 pm

Al-rawandi-

I have a guess. A couple of guys were smoking a little too much of a special weed, and got confused. The rest of them are just superstitious twits.

Other Comments by Quetzalcoatl

30. Comment #166974 by Lucas on April 23, 2008 at 2:20 pm

Can't believe it took me to say this, but...

De-TACH-able PE-nis, da da dun dun, da da dun dun (etc.)

Am I the only one that remembers that song?

More seriously, when I lived in Africa I had a very long talk with my two friends Mack and Mavuto, natives, about the witch that fell out of the sky naked and cursed the village. Without being too mean, I tried to explain to them why this clearly had not happened. When they claimed to be eyewitnesses, I asked them for a description of the witch and the night in question. They, of course, had no details. My mission there was to convince them that condoms would stop them from getting AIDS (Mack and Mavuto were engaged in this effort as well), and this was almost impossible, as their religious folk had told them condoms would make them impotent, or, indeed, their penises would fall off. I got nowhere by trying to explain the AIDS virus to people who have never been told what blood or cells are. These folks, my adopted people, were not stupid. They were simply uneducated, and had been duped by only slightly smarter priests, of both the Catholic and native variety. I don't know which is worse. It seems that in that country, maybe converting to Christianity was a step up, because at least the Christian Africans thought rape and murder were bad things to do, unlike most others.

Other Comments by Lucas

31. Comment #166977 by qomak on April 23, 2008 at 2:20 pm

Anyone care to hazard a guess?

Probably all psychology. A while back I saw this report about some research that showed while the "penis enlargement" techniques are ineffective, they have the psychological effect of making the guy feel more confident and also the feeling of penis being larger (combined with the fact that they were getting a better erection). So, if something like that can do a positive impression, the belief in nonsense witchcraft can probably do the opposite.

Other Comments by qomak

32. Comment #167013 by Colwyn Abernathy on April 23, 2008 at 2:39 pm

Cartomancer:
"This sounds like something straight out of a cultural anthropology textbook or an egyptian magical papyrus."

Or a Monty Python movie.

NO, NO N...STOP THAT! STOP THAT! THIS IS FAR TOO SILLY.

;)

Other Comments by Colwyn Abernathy

33. Comment #167014 by CShepGuy on April 23, 2008 at 2:40 pm

This is what happened to me. I swear it used to be much larger.

Other Comments by CShepGuy

34. Comment #167028 by jimbob on April 23, 2008 at 2:51 pm

Is it possible that this was misunderstood after it was reported that:

Congo men are hung!

;-)

Other Comments by jimbob

35. Comment #167044 by chezzyd on April 23, 2008 at 3:00 pm

Bluff_King_hal is correct - I did a little studying of the Malleus Maleficarum at Uni. One story included a witch who stole men's penises and hid them in a bird's nest - which of course several 'eyewitnesses' confirmed, sending the poor woman to her doom.... I suspect this was just the perfect excuse to get rid of someone you didn't like, or who wouldn't sleep with you. Just make up some weird and wonderful story, tell the local mad monk or cleric, then sit back and watch the show. Ahhh you couldn't make this stuff up. This story is definite evidence that medieval is the right word to describe some parts of the world.

Other Comments by chezzyd

36. Comment #167051 by Naturalist1 on April 23, 2008 at 3:10 pm

Perhaps they should all read some science....specifically...Pharmacology..and look up...sildenafil citrate..AKA Viagara. This might just make those "Tiny" problems go away. Thanks for the good laugh everyone....

Other Comments by Naturalist1

37. Comment #167059 by scottishgeologist on April 23, 2008 at 3:17 pm

Isnt it amazing how the word "Pythonesque" is still necessary?

But seriously folks, there is a bad, BAD downside to this lunacy. Countries that have a tradition of this sort of "folk superstition" are absolutely ripe for the pentecostal charismaniacs.

Check out the names "Reinhardt Bonnke" in Nigeria and "Heidi Baker" in Mozambique.

Go on, check out these names and you'll see what I mean.

Pentecostalism FLOURISHES in places like this. Its almost as if they have in-built bullshit receptors.

So we mighty laugh at the stupidity of this sort of thing. In a few years, they might well be waving their arms about to Shine Jesus Shine and getting "slain in the spirit"....

Grim

SG

Other Comments by scottishgeologist

38. Comment #167104 by CruciFiction on April 23, 2008 at 4:09 pm

The "good" witches of East Africa are penis enhancers.

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39. Comment #167129 by davidlewis on April 23, 2008 at 4:41 pm

Maybe the "recent government crackdown on its members" was the cause,

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40. Comment #167131 by ME!0364 on April 23, 2008 at 4:41 pm

Crowd: We have a witch! A witch!
Terry Jones: A witch? How do you know she is a witch?
John Cleese: She shrank my penis!
Terry Jones: (skeptically) Really?
John Cleese: It got better...

Other Comments by ME!0364

41. Comment #167147 by GabrielJBuckley on April 23, 2008 at 5:01 pm

The "good" witches of East Africa are penis enhancers.

Just wait until they team up with the Nigerian bulk-email set.

Other Comments by GabrielJBuckley

42. Comment #167184 by ivellios on April 23, 2008 at 5:40 pm

Yeah, That's my new excuse.

"No, really. A witch shrank it. It was much bigger before."

Other Comments by ivellios

43. Comment #167189 by mblarson323 on April 23, 2008 at 5:45 pm

Purported victims, 14 of whom were also detained by police, claimed that sorcerers simply touched them to make their genitals shrink or disappear....

How much you wanna bet that the vast majority of claims were for "shrinkage" and not total disappearance?

"Really, ma'am! I was hung like a horse before that witch doctor touched my peepee! Damn the luck!"

Other Comments by mblarson323

44. Comment #167190 by Grantaire of JC on April 23, 2008 at 5:45 pm

I had always known that there were short comings to religion, but this takes it to a new level.

Other Comments by Grantaire of JC

45. Comment #167216 by Null-T on April 23, 2008 at 6:13 pm

Sounds like a bad episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Overdone penis joke ahead

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46. Comment #167271 by Goodwithwood on April 23, 2008 at 7:51 pm

Phaeonix. I quote the Wizard's First Rule now and again.

Lucas. That was the first thing that popped into my head. ( For those of you who don't get it go here) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byDiILrNbM4

Why is this so hard too believe? A Christian Doctor stole a good chunk of mine at birth.

GWW

Other Comments by Goodwithwood

47. Comment #167273 by Goodwithwood on April 23, 2008 at 7:56 pm

Hell. This ain't nothing, you should see what I can do with wood.

GWW

Other Comments by Goodwithwood

48. Comment #167293 by mordacious1 on April 23, 2008 at 9:06 pm

No NO This really happens! George Bush has been missing since the Pope's visit and the Secret Service thinks this is what happened to him.

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49. Comment #167298 by SPS on April 23, 2008 at 9:18 pm

al-rawandi,

My guess is that there is a more mundane cause - human vulnerability, pettiness, or vanity. A man finds he can no longer function the way he used to, and with his manhood threatened/in question, and without a way to understand why it happened, he attributes it to witchcraft. I bet claims of shrinkage or disappearance would actually more likely be a case of impotence. The belief becomes known, and a curse of shrinkage or disappearance becomes an acceptable means for some of enacting revenge. Someone worried about being cursed worries himself to the point of self-imposed impotence, and the otherwise impotent now have something to blame. The person worried into a state of impotence, even though he may suspect his own worry to be the cause, now has a ready made excuse that exempts himself as the cause. In any case, the afflicted man may not have the knowledge to attribute it to anything else, or to exclude the likelihood of witchcraft as being the cause. Some of the reward/punishment aspects of religious belief may work in a similar way.

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50. Comment #167304 by MelM on April 23, 2008 at 9:36 pm

Here's a video about "witch villages" in Ghana. Note the bizarre trial that invokes the gods.

You'll have to use the search box first: type "ghana" then click. On the search result page, click the right center item titled "Assignment Africa: The Witch Villages of Ghana". The "Enlarge" button on the top left of the image works nicely--at least on my system.

http://cbs5.com/video/?cid=130

Other Comments by MelM