Albino in Malawi: White as a ghost

(Photo by Muntuwandi)

Because albino people in Malawi are being increasingly killed for their allegedly “lucky” body parts, the expression “white as a ghost” takes on an especially tragic meaning.

Amnesty International recently reported that “at least 18 people with albinism have been killed for their body parts in… Malawi since November 2014.”  This is actually a conservative estimate because “many deaths in rural areas go unreported.”

The body parts of these victims are then sold to witch doctors for use in so-called remedies.  Many still living are at risk of being raped because of the belief that “having sex with a person with albinism can cure HIV/AIDS.”  Worse yet, the criminal gangs sometimes “include close family members.”

Even the long-dead are vulnerable to attack.  Bones are being removed from the graves of people with albinism, “fueled by a belief” that these skeletal remains contain gold.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/albino-people-increasingly-killed-for-their-body-parts-in-malawi/ar-BBtYC0R?ocid=ansmsnnews11 

Copyright June 8, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved