ABU DHABI: Witch doctors have “soiled the image of Islam” by prescribing harmful treatments in the guise of faith healing, according to Muslim clerics and doctors who gathered in Abu Dhabi to affirm the healing powers of the Quran.

Islam “is not opposed to reason, science and modern technological developments,” Ali Salem al-Kaabi, the head of Abu Dhabi’s Family Development Foundation said at a recent conference, which drew doctors and religious clerics from across the Muslim world.

The conference “aims to expose erroneous ideas, correct misunderstandings and raise awareness about the (dangers) of sorcery and charlatanism,” said Kaabi, warning that “charlatans seek to defraud the naive and superstitious”.

The conference followed several reports in the Belgian media about faith healing practices of some European Muslim communities which turned into tragedy, including the story of a Moroccan girl who died after drinking several litres (quarts) of water mixed with black cumin oil, which an exorcist had said would purge evil spirits.

In a bid to prevent future incidents, the conference proposed establishing institutes across the Muslim world that would train and certify doctors in both modern medicine and faith healing.

The conference, the first of its kind, comes as part of a larger movement across the Muslim world aimed at harmonising Islam and modern medicine.

—AFP