Nigerian human rights activist Leo Igwe brought detailed accounts of African witch trials -- a lecture entitled "A Debate of the Heart" -- to the Center for Inquiry-Michigan's event on Wednesday, July 23.
Igwe presented his research to the crowd of 50 in the lower section of Women's City Club of Grand Rapids. A slideshow provided a window into the mistreatment of individuals sent into exile in Northern Ghana, Nigeria and Malawi.
Igwe estimated that nearly 200 accused witches are spread throughout seven camps in Ghana alone, but perhaps 20 percent of people in West African nations have someone close to them affected by such claims.
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"The solution is not mosquito nets. It is not rice or food. The solution is in the mind."
Igwe called for vigilance, and not just for those traveling to Africa.
"Witchcraft has a Christian layer," Igwe said. "It is important for freethinkers to dispel belief and challenge the narrative. We cannot just sit back and denounce it. Intervention is needed or else this problem will continue."
African witch trials still exist in the modern age, activist says | MLive.com
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