An unsettling incident involving the recent death of a Pakistani woman during an exorcism has raised concerns among medical professionals in the country.
After Soraiya Begum began acting strange and talking to herself, the woman's husband became convinced that she was possessed by the djinn, an infamous evil entity feared throughout the Middle East.
In an attempt to free her from the demonic entities, Begum's husband enlisted the help of two 'spiritual healers' known in that culture as 'Pirs.'
Unfortunately for the woman, the Pirs practiced an extreme form of 'alternative medicine' and proceeded to beat her with sticks while she was tied to a tree.
Apparently this tactic failed in exorcising the djinn, so the purported practitioners of the dark arks decided to hang Begum by her feet and fanned smoke at the suffering woman.
Likely realizing that the ritual was doing little to cure his wife, Begum's husband tried to stop the Pirs, but they persisted in torturing her until she died.
As is often the case with these crimes, the perpetrating Pirs vanished during the chaotic aftermath of their sinister ceremony.
Regrettably, Begum's gruesome demise is not altogether rare in Pakistan, where the reliance on spiritual healers is often favored over trained professionals.
A prominent psychiatrist in Pakistan expressed deep dismay over the news of Begum's death because there were numerous avenues for free medical help available to her and her family.
"It is the height of ignorance; we have failed as a nation to educate our masses about clinical problems that can be easily treated," he said, "because of our failure, these fake Pirs take advantage of the lack of literacy and prey on the ignorant. She did not have to die."
One can only hope that the news of Begum's preventable death will give pause to other Pakistanis considering the help of Pirs and cause them opt for more viable options.
Coast Insiders looking to learn more about the infamous and nefarious djinn can check out Rosemary Ellen Guiley's 5/6/2013 appearance on the program.
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Source: Geo.tv