It is a pledge that binds one’s mind, body and soul. It obligates one to obey until the “debt” is paid. This curse has been placed upon those who are trafficked to instill fear. This ritual comes from the traditional West African religion called Juju. The oath consists of mixing the girls pubic hair along with her blood. It is a dark form of juju not to be taken casually, if one disobeys the oath, it is believed that she and her family will be killed.
They are tricked by the allure of a better life in Europe. So they eagerly swear to this oath. However these juju priests who perform the ritual are subjecting the women into slavery. Is it a tradition or a hoax? The people involved in the trafficking of these women do not need muscles to scare the girls. These women are compelled by Juju, not physical violence. When they arrive in Europe their fate reaches them. They are sex slaves, and now told they will not return home until they pay back what they owe for coming to Europe. According to Al Jazeera the price the girls “owe” ranges from 30,000 euro’s to 60,000. They can never afford to pay this back because whatever money they receive is collected from them, and the madam who is in charge of the girls also charges rent, food, and clothing.
They fear the Juju. To fearful to ever flee. They are stuck. But who are we as outsiders to claim whether or not these traditions are true. To judge their beliefs. To say why don’t they escape, the juju is not real, it cannot harm them. It is their belief, and what one believes is just as dangerous as a man with a gun. But the juju priest involvement in the enslaving oath is questionable. They profit from the girls taking this oath, and manipulate their power. Where is the line drawn between tradition and oppression? This practice is very common in Edo a state of Nigeria and now churches that have popped up in the region that are also cashing in on this ritual. This perverted use of the religion has contributed greatly to the Nigerian women who are sex slaves in Europe and other parts of the world.
Photo Credit:http://thespiritualweek.wordpress.com/2011/07/07/nigerian-juju-trafficking-case/
It's so shocking when we realize how powerful fear is. It's motivating and life threatening. Fear is hard to get away from and so easy to use against someone else. It's scary to think that an emotion is more powerful than physical strength and weapons.
ReplyDeleteI am a little confused. Is it in true belief of the priests that these woman/girls must perform these juju acts or are they simply using religion and belief to their benefit to take advantage of these women? Also, how long has the ritual of juju been going on?
ReplyDeleteI am confused as well. What exactly is the juju curse? If a girl is cursed, what's the punishment? How does the ritual work? Why do the priests mix the girls' pubic hairs and blood? What is the oath that the women are under? How do these girls go from being cursed to being tricked to go to another country?
ReplyDeleteWow, this post absolutely stunned me. Just as it stunned these girls when they faced their true fate in Europe, how do these Juju priests sleep at night? It also is a prime example of the creative schemes sickening people come up with in order to make a profit. These young girls need to be educated on the matter to prevent any more innocent naïve girls from being conned into being essentially enslaved. Even though they believe in Juju and that they are taking an essential step for a better life for themselves and their families. Their belief does not make the way these human beings are being treated justly. This trickery is simply nothing but inhuman and evil.
ReplyDeleteIts sad to see people having to live their life in fear and always being tricked into things. I agree with bri its just inhuman and evil.
ReplyDeleteLeyla Juju is a west African Religion , its like Voodoo. The ritual is real, it is preformed the girls go through the ritual prior to going to Europe. They swear to paying back the debt of however much it is. Once they reach Europe the realize it is a huge amount . The cannot break the oath because they believe they will die.
ReplyDeleteAdrienne, the mixing of the blood and hair is how they swear. There are other forms of the oath, I don't know everything about juju I will admit. The oath is a curse. If you don't follow it you believe you will die.
ReplyDeleteWow. The statement that beliefs can be just as dangerous as a man with a gun is so powerful, and it's something that most people never realize on their own. It's absurd that the priests abuse their responsibilities like they do. Are they aware of the horrors that they are forcing the girls to live in? Do they know that the debt accrued is impossible for the girls to repay? Where does the money they receive go, into their own pockets or back into the community? The world we live in is truly perverse.
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