Open letter to the Pagan community in SA
Hello all.
Since 1997 I have been blessed and enriched by meeting, sharing and
getting to know many in the Pagan community here at home. Some of you
reading this will therefore know me, and I many I assume will not. My
decision to write this letter was not an easy one out of respect for
many individuals in this community, in that I do not wish to
deliberately initiate conflict, and that I for a long time tried to
distance myself from the many politics in the community. In that respect
I do not take sides, but take people as I find them and not on the
opinion of others. In this instance I guess this is personal and yet my
decision to write this letter is made also because I feel the need to
raise issues bothering me with a community amongst whom I have worked,
and also of which I am part.
In a few lines for those who don’t know
me, I just want to share some of where I am coming from. I have a PhD
in Comparative Religion that includes an undergraduate degree in
Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and African Religion(s); Honours in
Sociology of Religion, Philosophy of Religion, Anthropology of Religion
and Rites and Rituals. My three post-graduate theses were all on
Paganism in SA. Since getting the PhD in 2006, I have continued in
aspects of Pagan Studies and have researched far deeper into African
Religion – particularly its traditional thoughts and forms. The first
point I want to make is that this does not privilege my opinions in any
way. Like all of you, in different ways, this is my ‘day job’ that I am
very passionate about and work hard at. Like anyone such as a lawyer, a
doctor, an accountant ot whatever, it is just a long training in theory
and method. Be that as it may. I am, like all, many other things as
well. Being Pagan myself is one them.
For too long a time now I have
let go the number of insults I have had from Damon Leff of SAPRA. I
have not generally retaliated nor insulted or summarily dismissed his
opinions and initiatives. On occasions when I have tried to give an
opinion, his retorts are sharp and swift. In this instance i choose not
to be silent as they now impact on something I feel affects us all,
whether we engage with it or not, or whatever position or alliances one
may have in the community. The issue that prompts this letter arose last
week when a posting of Damon\s appeared on my Facebook page. In it he
commented that witch-hunts and their victims numerically exceed that of
muti murders in SA. I responded, I feel not rudely, asking where he got
those comparative statistics from and saying that muti murders exceed
witch-hunts by the thousands and thousands. (I do have all this
correspondence).He immediately blocked me from his Facebook page. Just
obliterate the information and then it doesn’t exist. At this point I
have to say that he is fully within his rights to block whoever he
wishes. It’s his page and he can exercise whatever choice he wishes as
can we all. My problem is not that, and I will try to explain.
I
fully understand that most reading this will not be very concerned about
which phenomenon exceeds the other. What deeply bothered me was the
question ‘why’? Was it because I asked it; can no one challenge his
statements; can he not cope with the idea that he just might be wrong? I
feel he should have asked me where I got my facts from. Had he done so
this is what I would have answered: That my work over the past 3 years
has been on witchcraft in African communities and took me into the
dreadful world of muti murders. I would have said that I am working with
commissions, with police, with social development workers and their
departments, with Traditional Healers, ordinary community members, and,
for the last year have spent (and still do) a great deal of my time in a
shelter for disabled children who have been severely traumatised and
damaged even further through mutilations. They are not even the tip of
the iceberg and the scale of this has taken my breath away. I have
tracked various kidnappings, and where I can do so safely, have been
working in muti markets and have ascertained the scale and
infrastructure of this phenomenon. I have the figures. I read as widely
as possible, but use that as a base from which to walk the walk in
affected communities. I have hundreds of hours of interviews and seen so
much I wish I hadn’t. With no privilege in this, my day job requires
that I double and even triple check my sources. If something is ‘my
opinion’ I say so, rather as a doctor will sometimes give a ‘qualified
opinion’ according to her/his training. When it is a fact I will say so
although this doesn’t mean that new evidence couldn’t come to light to
change the fact. The fact stands until the new evidence disproves it.
This is the same in modern science and medicine where knowledge will
stand until proved otherwise. What burns me is not being removed from
Damon’s page in this instance as I have much to get on with, but the
fact that information is being censored and controlled in a manner that
reminds me of the censorship of the apartheid era. I asked a legitimate
question as it is totally in the realms of what I do and of public
interest. Maybe Damon has information that makes his statement more true
or accurate? I would have listened and been quite willing to readjust
my position in light of new evidence. Whatever happened to the well
known maxim that “if you have 10 Pagans in a room you will get 10
different opinions?” I like that world and will support that as long as I
have breath. What is insulting to the Pagan community is to be fed a
singular argument by someone who is very talented and works tirelessly
on many issues, and yet who has a need to have no objection or
difference of opinion to his argument. He will either insult it, or
obliterate it. That is unacceptable.
My second point is that for a
long, long time Damon has dissed academics. I have swallowed this in
silence and yet mystified that it comes from one who has no firsthand
knowledge of the hard process, and yet who draws on lawyers/vets etc.
with no qualm. Their training is certainly academic. Or is he only
against academics that do not follow his line? Actually no academic
claims ‘to be right’. We research and present our findings. They can be
queried and disagreed with. In that way we grow. However, if I disagree,
I need to able to replicate the other persons work and prove that a
different conclusion can be found. Without doing that I cannot simply
dismiss it but have to hold it as a possibility. I am mentioning this
because I was approached by some academics from overseas who have
supported the SAPRA Advocacy Campaign and were confused by the
‘anthropologists blow it out their arse’ and so on. Is this helpful to
the community? I think not. On what basis is this insult made? This was
perhaps only one other time when I actually posted Damon mentioning
this. He obliterated the whole post. What saddens me is that I have
attended numerous Pagan Studies conferences at the huge AAR in America.
Pagan scholars—of different orientations and often of opinion—come
together to share, debate and to learn. What is incredibly important is
that the lay Pagan community in whatever city the conference is held
join in meals, outings and long conversations. Each perspective is
important; not one more than the other. Some come because they can hear
from people who spend their 24/7 in the field which most people can’t
do. These dialogues benefit both sides.
I briefly stepped out of my
world to enter into the Pagan/Satanism debate, and happened to say that,
in my opinion, this relationship could be harmful to the Pagan
community. I got this in return from Damon.
Allegations and
accusations that SAPRA's advocacy has and will harm Paganism and Pagans
in South Africa, constitute deliberate slander and where published,
libel against this Alliance. Where did you get your academic
qualifications? A lucky packet?
I’ll tell you where I got that from.
Things are changing very fast and the religio-political climate is no
exception. I am part of certain official bodies and witnessed what I
perceived to be a directly harmful turn for Pagans. The question I ask
you, is should this caution be mentioned? Is it in Pagan interest? What
if I am privy to information that I feel important to share with the
community? I could go on and on with many examples. I never got the
chance to say any of this as you can see by Damon’s response above. What
is evident is that I have shared my opinion through the wrong channels.
I shall not do so again and sadly this door closes for me as it is just
going nowhere. To hell with the lucky packet comment that has no effect
on what I do in my life, but the closing down (again) of information
with a threat of legal action is aggressive, myopic and of consequence
to more than just me. I will publicly state here that I am up to the
challenge and will see him in court as much as that is never a route I
would choose to take. What the message says is that there can be no
questioning of Damon’s position on anything, even if holds important
information to the contrary. What is important is that all the
objections and positions taken by Damon on behalf of SAPRA have been
assumed by outside organisations to speak for the whole community. The
results then affect one and all, for better or worse. Damon is a
tireless campaigner and I admire that in him, but is the stance taken by
him always to the advantage of the greater community? I have evidence
to the contrary in some instances. I say this not from a personal
perspective as much as from many direct experiences I have been party
to. This is an adult community and I feel that all such relevant
information should be made available which then can be subjected to your
own consideration. On important issues I will always support the need
to hear from as many voices as possible and then maturely confront
issues that affect the community as a whole. Damon often says, and I do
believe he means it, that this is SAPRA’s goal, and yet his position is
not inclusive. Whilst he can say that he speaks just for SAPRA (and this
is 100% his right), the results can and do affect us all. It is similar
to the Melville conference when I told Phepsile Maseko that she is
speaking as though she speaks for all Traditional Healers. She doesn’t.
There are over 200 such associations in this country, many of whom hold
entirely different positions from her. In the absence of their voices,
her view could carry the weight to changes that will affect thousands.
That outcome, for instance might not be in Pagan best interests.
The Pagan community here at home is made up of interesting, varied,
vibrant and caring individuals. Most don’t know a great deal of other
religious communities and this fact is the same for people of other
faiths and traditions too. Most get on with what they are doing in an
increasingly busy and often difficult world. They work hard, and
practice and celebrate with their own specific community or as
individuals. There is no reason that it should not be that way. Many are
tired of the politics and most, in my opinion, stand outside of them
and concentrate on doing what they do. I understand this fully.
I
am fortunate this year to have been given the support to research and
publish that I was unable to do much of while teaching. This will be my
way of sharing my information with this community who then can do with
it what they will. I see no other means. Unlike Damon, who has accused
me of ‘changing my tune’ on certain statements, I live in a world where
religions are seen as dynamic, fluid and constantly changing in response
to political and social changes. This goes for Paganism as much as for
every other religion on the planet. A study done in 1995, for example,
will yield different data from a study done in 2013. Something would be
wrong if it didn’t. Nothing remains in stone and we don’t live in a
static bubble where the earth is flat. As we learn, listen and observe,
we grow and change in all dimensions of our lives. This is fundamental
to my own Paganism in which I live in an integrated network of
relationships. A web if you will. But the web is also part of a larger
picture that can be blown away in bad weather. Each link is vital to
support the structure when the bad weather is on its way.
I wish
Damon well and, as with anyone, respect his right to his opinions. That
is how it must be. But I will not accept his right to speak for me as a
Pagan, and will make that clear when the need arises in the circles in
which I work and move. For instance, I do not agree with his position on
witchcraft in African communities. That is my right and I shall voice
it. Why on earth have I not shared that with the community? The issues
are too important, to our country and to our religion and whilst you are
being told that the only ‘real’ witches in Africa are the Pagan
Witches, I feel that this will only marginalise Pagans from being the
role-players they could be. I have observed cases where this is
happening and feel this is in public Pagan interest whether they agree
or not. At least have the widest base of information to work from. That
is my opinion based on the work I am doing. For this and other important
reasons I have not supported the 30 Days of Advocacy campaign. As much
as I am appalled by the human misery involved and am working hard with
many stakeholders, in my opinion, the position taken is one that
actually fuels the violence. I shall continue to distance myself from
this position, and I will give a full discussion in a forthcoming
publication. If, as Damon argues, witchcraft is a misnomer because of
academics, lawyers, the media, the police etc. (in fact everyone bar him
and a handful of others) then let time tell. If the community can’t
hear or see a fact on muti murders or anything else then know that these
inaccuracies are going to be put in the bottom drawer by most who know
otherwise, and who will believe that we all think that way. If everyone
who has a different opinion is silenced or told they are talking
bullshit, then we relinquish our rights to access of all the information
available. I choose otherwise and am deeply saddened by much of this,
and will always support the freedom of speech and opinion. So should we
all.
Blessings to all in changing times,
Dale Wallace
Taken from Facebook :
Hello all.
Since 1997 I have been blessed and enriched by meeting, sharing and getting to know many in the Pagan community here at home. Some of you reading this will therefore know me, and I many I assume will not. My decision to write this letter was not an easy one out of respect for many individuals in this community, in that I do not wish to deliberately initiate conflict, and that I for a long time tried to distance myself from the many politics in the community. In that respect I do not take sides, but take people as I find them and not on the opinion of others. In this instance I guess this is personal and yet my decision to write this letter is made also because I feel the need to raise issues bothering me with a community amongst whom I have worked, and also of which I am part.
In a few lines for those who don’t know me, I just want to share some of where I am coming from. I have a PhD in Comparative Religion that includes an undergraduate degree in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and African Religion(s); Honours in Sociology of Religion, Philosophy of Religion, Anthropology of Religion and Rites and Rituals. My three post-graduate theses were all on Paganism in SA. Since getting the PhD in 2006, I have continued in aspects of Pagan Studies and have researched far deeper into African Religion – particularly its traditional thoughts and forms. The first point I want to make is that this does not privilege my opinions in any way. Like all of you, in different ways, this is my ‘day job’ that I am very passionate about and work hard at. Like anyone such as a lawyer, a doctor, an accountant ot whatever, it is just a long training in theory and method. Be that as it may. I am, like all, many other things as well. Being Pagan myself is one them.
For too long a time now I have let go the number of insults I have had from Damon Leff of SAPRA. I have not generally retaliated nor insulted or summarily dismissed his opinions and initiatives. On occasions when I have tried to give an opinion, his retorts are sharp and swift. In this instance i choose not to be silent as they now impact on something I feel affects us all, whether we engage with it or not, or whatever position or alliances one may have in the community. The issue that prompts this letter arose last week when a posting of Damon\s appeared on my Facebook page. In it he commented that witch-hunts and their victims numerically exceed that of muti murders in SA. I responded, I feel not rudely, asking where he got those comparative statistics from and saying that muti murders exceed witch-hunts by the thousands and thousands. (I do have all this correspondence).He immediately blocked me from his Facebook page. Just obliterate the information and then it doesn’t exist. At this point I have to say that he is fully within his rights to block whoever he wishes. It’s his page and he can exercise whatever choice he wishes as can we all. My problem is not that, and I will try to explain.
I fully understand that most reading this will not be very concerned about which phenomenon exceeds the other. What deeply bothered me was the question ‘why’? Was it because I asked it; can no one challenge his statements; can he not cope with the idea that he just might be wrong? I feel he should have asked me where I got my facts from. Had he done so this is what I would have answered: That my work over the past 3 years has been on witchcraft in African communities and took me into the dreadful world of muti murders. I would have said that I am working with commissions, with police, with social development workers and their departments, with Traditional Healers, ordinary community members, and, for the last year have spent (and still do) a great deal of my time in a shelter for disabled children who have been severely traumatised and damaged even further through mutilations. They are not even the tip of the iceberg and the scale of this has taken my breath away. I have tracked various kidnappings, and where I can do so safely, have been working in muti markets and have ascertained the scale and infrastructure of this phenomenon. I have the figures. I read as widely as possible, but use that as a base from which to walk the walk in affected communities. I have hundreds of hours of interviews and seen so much I wish I hadn’t. With no privilege in this, my day job requires that I double and even triple check my sources. If something is ‘my opinion’ I say so, rather as a doctor will sometimes give a ‘qualified opinion’ according to her/his training. When it is a fact I will say so although this doesn’t mean that new evidence couldn’t come to light to change the fact. The fact stands until the new evidence disproves it. This is the same in modern science and medicine where knowledge will stand until proved otherwise. What burns me is not being removed from Damon’s page in this instance as I have much to get on with, but the fact that information is being censored and controlled in a manner that reminds me of the censorship of the apartheid era. I asked a legitimate question as it is totally in the realms of what I do and of public interest. Maybe Damon has information that makes his statement more true or accurate? I would have listened and been quite willing to readjust my position in light of new evidence. Whatever happened to the well known maxim that “if you have 10 Pagans in a room you will get 10 different opinions?” I like that world and will support that as long as I have breath. What is insulting to the Pagan community is to be fed a singular argument by someone who is very talented and works tirelessly on many issues, and yet who has a need to have no objection or difference of opinion to his argument. He will either insult it, or obliterate it. That is unacceptable.
My second point is that for a long, long time Damon has dissed academics. I have swallowed this in silence and yet mystified that it comes from one who has no firsthand knowledge of the hard process, and yet who draws on lawyers/vets etc. with no qualm. Their training is certainly academic. Or is he only against academics that do not follow his line? Actually no academic claims ‘to be right’. We research and present our findings. They can be queried and disagreed with. In that way we grow. However, if I disagree, I need to able to replicate the other persons work and prove that a different conclusion can be found. Without doing that I cannot simply dismiss it but have to hold it as a possibility. I am mentioning this because I was approached by some academics from overseas who have supported the SAPRA Advocacy Campaign and were confused by the ‘anthropologists blow it out their arse’ and so on. Is this helpful to the community? I think not. On what basis is this insult made? This was perhaps only one other time when I actually posted Damon mentioning this. He obliterated the whole post. What saddens me is that I have attended numerous Pagan Studies conferences at the huge AAR in America. Pagan scholars—of different orientations and often of opinion—come together to share, debate and to learn. What is incredibly important is that the lay Pagan community in whatever city the conference is held join in meals, outings and long conversations. Each perspective is important; not one more than the other. Some come because they can hear from people who spend their 24/7 in the field which most people can’t do. These dialogues benefit both sides.
I briefly stepped out of my world to enter into the Pagan/Satanism debate, and happened to say that, in my opinion, this relationship could be harmful to the Pagan community. I got this in return from Damon.
Allegations and accusations that SAPRA's advocacy has and will harm Paganism and Pagans in South Africa, constitute deliberate slander and where published, libel against this Alliance. Where did you get your academic qualifications? A lucky packet?
I’ll tell you where I got that from. Things are changing very fast and the religio-political climate is no exception. I am part of certain official bodies and witnessed what I perceived to be a directly harmful turn for Pagans. The question I ask you, is should this caution be mentioned? Is it in Pagan interest? What if I am privy to information that I feel important to share with the community? I could go on and on with many examples. I never got the chance to say any of this as you can see by Damon’s response above. What is evident is that I have shared my opinion through the wrong channels. I shall not do so again and sadly this door closes for me as it is just going nowhere. To hell with the lucky packet comment that has no effect on what I do in my life, but the closing down (again) of information with a threat of legal action is aggressive, myopic and of consequence to more than just me. I will publicly state here that I am up to the challenge and will see him in court as much as that is never a route I would choose to take. What the message says is that there can be no questioning of Damon’s position on anything, even if holds important information to the contrary. What is important is that all the objections and positions taken by Damon on behalf of SAPRA have been assumed by outside organisations to speak for the whole community. The results then affect one and all, for better or worse. Damon is a tireless campaigner and I admire that in him, but is the stance taken by him always to the advantage of the greater community? I have evidence to the contrary in some instances. I say this not from a personal perspective as much as from many direct experiences I have been party to. This is an adult community and I feel that all such relevant information should be made available which then can be subjected to your own consideration. On important issues I will always support the need to hear from as many voices as possible and then maturely confront issues that affect the community as a whole. Damon often says, and I do believe he means it, that this is SAPRA’s goal, and yet his position is not inclusive. Whilst he can say that he speaks just for SAPRA (and this is 100% his right), the results can and do affect us all. It is similar to the Melville conference when I told Phepsile Maseko that she is speaking as though she speaks for all Traditional Healers. She doesn’t. There are over 200 such associations in this country, many of whom hold entirely different positions from her. In the absence of their voices, her view could carry the weight to changes that will affect thousands. That outcome, for instance might not be in Pagan best interests.
The Pagan community here at home is made up of interesting, varied, vibrant and caring individuals. Most don’t know a great deal of other religious communities and this fact is the same for people of other faiths and traditions too. Most get on with what they are doing in an increasingly busy and often difficult world. They work hard, and practice and celebrate with their own specific community or as individuals. There is no reason that it should not be that way. Many are tired of the politics and most, in my opinion, stand outside of them and concentrate on doing what they do. I understand this fully.
I am fortunate this year to have been given the support to research and publish that I was unable to do much of while teaching. This will be my way of sharing my information with this community who then can do with it what they will. I see no other means. Unlike Damon, who has accused me of ‘changing my tune’ on certain statements, I live in a world where religions are seen as dynamic, fluid and constantly changing in response to political and social changes. This goes for Paganism as much as for every other religion on the planet. A study done in 1995, for example, will yield different data from a study done in 2013. Something would be wrong if it didn’t. Nothing remains in stone and we don’t live in a static bubble where the earth is flat. As we learn, listen and observe, we grow and change in all dimensions of our lives. This is fundamental to my own Paganism in which I live in an integrated network of relationships. A web if you will. But the web is also part of a larger picture that can be blown away in bad weather. Each link is vital to support the structure when the bad weather is on its way.
I wish Damon well and, as with anyone, respect his right to his opinions. That is how it must be. But I will not accept his right to speak for me as a Pagan, and will make that clear when the need arises in the circles in which I work and move. For instance, I do not agree with his position on witchcraft in African communities. That is my right and I shall voice it. Why on earth have I not shared that with the community? The issues are too important, to our country and to our religion and whilst you are being told that the only ‘real’ witches in Africa are the Pagan Witches, I feel that this will only marginalise Pagans from being the role-players they could be. I have observed cases where this is happening and feel this is in public Pagan interest whether they agree or not. At least have the widest base of information to work from. That is my opinion based on the work I am doing. For this and other important reasons I have not supported the 30 Days of Advocacy campaign. As much as I am appalled by the human misery involved and am working hard with many stakeholders, in my opinion, the position taken is one that actually fuels the violence. I shall continue to distance myself from this position, and I will give a full discussion in a forthcoming publication. If, as Damon argues, witchcraft is a misnomer because of academics, lawyers, the media, the police etc. (in fact everyone bar him and a handful of others) then let time tell. If the community can’t hear or see a fact on muti murders or anything else then know that these inaccuracies are going to be put in the bottom drawer by most who know otherwise, and who will believe that we all think that way. If everyone who has a different opinion is silenced or told they are talking bullshit, then we relinquish our rights to access of all the information available. I choose otherwise and am deeply saddened by much of this, and will always support the freedom of speech and opinion. So should we all.
Blessings to all in changing times,
Dale Wallace
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