KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 -- A traditional Islamic healer in Johor Baru is claiming some people are stealing undergarments to carry out black magic rituals.

Hakim Jaafar, who practises at Syria Asma Healing Centre, said the victims - mostly women - often report falling mysteriously ill after such thefts.

Symptoms include body aches, headaches, insomnia and recurring nightmares, which are believed to be signs of spiritual disturbance.

"Through ruqyah, we sometimes uncover that the cause is linked to envy or unresolved personal conflicts," he said in a report on Sinar Harian.

Ruqyah is an Islamic spiritual healing practice that involves the recitation of Quranic verses and supplications to treat ailments believed to be caused by black magi...