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| Radovan Karadzic: a lesson for us all |
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Healing seems to be getting a bad name. Mervyn Johnson’s deplorable behaviour when treating young women in Sweden, whilst holding the position of president of the International Spiritualist Federation, has already been well documented on this site.
Now comes news of another “healer” who wasn’t what he seemed. This time, it has made world headlines. I am referring, of course, to Europe’s most wanted crime suspect, Radovan Karadzic, who has been masquerading as alternative healer Dragan Dabic.
Hiding behind a huge white beard and professorial spectacles, with his thick hair tied in a ponytail by hippy-style bindings, he apparently impressed everyone as a New Age guru.
None of those who read his articles in Healthy Life, consulted him about their problems or bought the “bioenergy” devices he peddled, suspected that they were dealing with a man who stands accused of multiple counts of genocide following the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1990.
Mind you, to most Bosnians he remains a war hero, so even if they had recognised him they would probably not have turned him in.
The Karadzic case is of particular interest to me. A journalistic assignment took me to Kosovo in 2004 where I spent a night at Camp Bondsteel, the huge United States military base, south of Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, soon after it ceased being a war zone – though tensions were still high.
The Americans were there to help keep the fragile peace between the region’s Albanian and Serbian inhabitants: a conflict that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Karadzic’s ethnic cleansing policy, targeting Muslims and Croats, was a major contributor to this outcome. Since 1999 they had provided logistical support to Operation Joint Guardian, the NATO-led Kosovo Force peacekeeping operation.
During my brief stay I spoke with several people who recounted their personal experiences of losing loved ones and being separated from their families during that war. They, like Kosovo’s prime minister, and the world at large, will welcome the capture of Karadzic.
But while the International War Criminal Tribunal in The Hague starts proceedings against him, there’s an element in this story that might be overlooked by national media but which deserves our consideration.
When Radovan Karadzic went into hiding in 1996 – in an attempt to avoid the fate that he now faces – he had to decide whether to spend the rest of his life on the run, or to try to invent a new identity. We now know that he chose the latter.
Perhaps he chose to be an alternative practitioner in a Belgrade clinic because it was so radically different from his role as a politician and first president of the Bosnian Serb state. Who would suspect these individuals were one and the same.
It is even more likely, however, that the shrewd Karadzic knew that of all “professions”, that of a healer or dealer in alternative remedies, was one in which he was least likely to be challenged. As he has proved, it was possible to fool many people into accepting him as an expert in this field.
He didn’t need to produce evidence of his qualifications, prove the effectiveness of his treatments or satisfy the authorities that he could be trusted with advising people on their health.
I’m not advocating stringent licensing of alternative practitioners, but it’s a cautionary tale with a very clear message. If someone tells you they have special powers which can improve your health or bring other benefits, don’t feel bad about querying such statements.
If they haven’t been recommended to you by someone you trust, then ask for evidence or testimonials, particularly before parting with money. A legitimate practitioner will have no problem with such a request.
Chances are you’ll find your consultation uplifting and beneficial, and with any luck the healer will not turn out to be a rapist ... or a war criminal.
FOOTNOTE: some websites are linking visitors to what is claimed to be Karadzic’s very own website: www.dragandabic.com. Don’t be fooled. That site (amusing, perhaps, when you realise it is a spoof) was not posted on the Internet until after he was arrested. But there is a genuine website for those who are interested – click here.
| | 7/23/2008 5:50:00 PM |
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| ISF seeks healing and guidance |  LONDON. There are signs that the new Executive Committee of the International Spiritualist Federation (ISF) is starting to listen to its critics and intends to be more open about its decisions. This follows criticisms and resignations in response to its handling of the Mervyn Johnson (Wright) affair (search on “Johnson” for the full story). It has also sought healing for itself and for those who suffer abuse.
[full story] |
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| Radar shows UFO flying towards Bush ranch |  STEPHENVILLE, US. The long-awaited investigation of the Stephenville, Texas, UFO sightings in January, conducted by the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), has obtained radar confirmation of a mysterious unknown object in the area whose movements match those reported by some of the witnesses. [full story] |
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| Death of Lyall Watson, author of ‘Supernature’ |  OBITUARY. He was often described as a naturalist, adventurer and explorer but Lyall Watson, who has died at the age of 69, was best known for his interest in the paranormal. His 1973 book Supernature, which explored mysterious and inexplicable natural phenomena, was reprinted 10 times in as many weeks, sold three-quarters of a million copies in paperback and was translated into eight languages.
[full story] |
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| SNU ends historic association with ISF |  UPDATED
UNITED KINGDOM. If the International Spiritualist Federation (ISF) thought it could shrug off criticism of its handling of the Mervyn Johnson rape case affair and carry on regardless, it reckoned without the wrath of the Spiritualists’ National Union (SNU), the movement’s leading organisation in the UK. The union has severed its links with the ISF after an 85-year association. [full story] |
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| Spirit paintings on show in Paris |  PARIS. Works by Augustin Lesage, a former miner who claimed his paintings were produced by spirits, have gone on show in La Maison Rouge gallery’s summer exhibition in Paris. Examples of his art are displayed alongside those of Austrian artist Elmar Trenkwalder who was born in 1959 – four years after the death of Lesage. Lesage’s work made a lasting impression on Trenkwalder. [full story] |
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