GOLDSMITHS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

Anthropology Department
AN53006A / AN53031A – INDIVIDUAL PROJECT / EXTENDED INDIVIDUAL
PROJECT
PROJECT DESCRIPTION - PLEASE SUBMIT BY 31st October 2023.
:
a) Individual project, 8,000 words (AN53006A)

Your name: Hannan Belhadj

Your Degree Programme: BA Anthropology year 3
Your Goldsmiths email address: hbelh001@campus.goldsmiths.ac.uk

Description of your area of interest or your research topic (300 words):

Question of interest: how does the belief of black magic fuel speculation of
conspiracy theories, Islamic perspectives in the west?
I attempt to dive into a cross-cultural perspective for
Muslims living in the West, believe in both magic and conspiracies. An area of interest
would be how the United Kingdom and/or the United States are areas where magic
prevails through religion and conspiracy. For example, magic does not have to be
necessarily associated with jinn, it could be associated with the overpowering of
technology, Signs of subliminal messages, colonisation of Muslim populations,
propaganda, and activities that can influence the tuning of one's thought processes.
however, do these topics become consciously refrained from speaking openly… I hope
to go more into why I believe magic and these signs intertwine.

Conspiracy theories and paranoia can be perceived as a higher controlled authority of

knowledge, who commit to different acts of agendas; good or bad, but intentionally
secret and plotted than what we (the masses) may think. Perhaps perceived through the
perspectives of brainwashing mechanisms, drug importing, propaganda, terrorist
organisations, plotted or unclear circumstances of death, the matrix, historical events,
colonialism and lastly unseen beings/ agencies such as aliens/ Jinns. Although black
magic can cause a divide in the Muslim communities amongst fellow brethren
(accusations or conspiracy amongst each other), there is also the tension of the Muslim
spheric beliefs that avoid participating in certain news outlets, music, theatre/films or
going to places, like pubs, bars or clubs as it is haram. Through beliefs that the jinn who
whispers waswas in one ear can cause someone to go into these activities, whereby it
leads to the cause one to not be in control of oneself, straying into an
addiction or habit which leads one to go astray of Islam
and to fall into the pit of the jinns whispers. Maybe a point to raise is
where governments don’t want people to acknowledge higher forms of secrecy or plots
or to be in control in such a regulated and surveillance country, for people to fall into
the consumption of time, through the entertainment industry, drug/alcohol addictions,
or isolation amongst each other to cause an increase in mental health problems? For
people to not have full awareness of their psychological potential. However, Muslims
can never truly get away from the culture of a country living in Britain. I question how
this plays out for the Muslim, not only in mental health but also in magic, conspiracies,
paranoia and the stereotypes of “the clash of civilisations”. How they correlate to each
other through the Muslim's majoritic belief of the unseen agencies, of jinn and
supernatural beings. I question, who is the cause of this and how it affects the Muslim's
reality regarding magic, conspiracy and avoidance. Where does such tension arise, who
has power, whom do we trust, and how do Western media, images, perspectives,
governmental institutions, secrecy, projects and colonialism, affect Muslims'
perspectives not only on black magic but the agendas of a higher ruling power of the
Dunya. How does this fuel beliefs of conspiracy theories, and how can conspiracies, play
a role in the belief of jinn, and magic altogether?

Readings:
Quran
waswas
Edward said
Conspiracy of a culture, Michael burkan

whid ibn abdessalam , sword against black magic and

magicians

simon dien readings on mental health and muslim

conspiracies, brain washing, entertainment industry,

illuminati, mk ultra, astrology, philosophy, colonialism and
anti-colonialism, the isolation and individualised lives of
people in the west, collective upbringings, spirituality,
essence, authority, police, crime, racism, historical events,
9/11, art, consumerism, conquer, Islamic leaders, jihad,
steariotypes, poor/rich, economics, politics, mental health,
keywords : islam, west, conspiracy, magic, subliminal, mental health , politics,
mind control, media, jinn, paranoia
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