While 14% of Palestinian Muslims believe in sorcery and witchcraft, the lowest percentage of any Middle East sector surveyed, 59% of them believe in the "evil eye" and 67% believe in "jinn," demons or genies.
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| 14th century Islamic depiction of Jinn |
A column in The Telegraph noted in 2013:
Although the pamphlet, called Feeling Stressed, was subtitled “A leaflet for Muslims”, I took a look at it, and found something surprising. One of the questions addressed was: “What if my problem is caused by jinn possession?”
“People can mistake mental illness for jinn possession,” the answer began. “So, even if you feel that you may be possessed, it is important that you see a doctor.”
The leaflet I picked up is approved by the Muslim Council of Britain and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. I hope it proves helpful.
UPDATE: A majority of Americans believe in demon possession as well. And more young people do than older people.