Full scale of Dubai's 'cancer curing cult'

The full scale of what’s been dubbed a dangerous cancer curing ‘cult’ operating in Dubai has been revealed – as experts claim the city has become the ‘dumping ground for the world’s worst criminals’.

Practitioners of ThetaHealing, founded by Vianna Stibal in 1995, say they can access the brain’s ‘theta wave state’ to find cures for mental and physical ailments.

The controversial practice has been accused of luring in vulnerable families and encouraging them to ‘reject medical healing in favour of fantasy’ – amid claims it can ‘cure HIV’ and ‘re-grow amputated legs’.

Human Rights Lawyer David Haigh and Women’s Rights Campaigner Aisha Ali-Khan are co-founders of Dubai Watch, an organisation that aims to raise awareness of some of the dangers of travelling to the popular holiday destination.

Mr Haigh has revealed the disturbing ongoing case of a six-year-old girl born into a powerful Emirati family whose mother insists both her daughter’s broken feet can naturally ‘regrow’.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mr Haigh said: ‘A custody dispute has been going on for a while in relation to this case.

‘The young girl managed to break both her feet and her mother genuinely believed they would regrow.

The full scale of a dangerous ‘ cancer curing cult’ operating in Dubai has been revealed. ThetaHealing’s founder, Vianna Stibal, is pictured

Third from the right is the mother of the six-year-old girl – a practitioner in Theta – who claims her daughter’s broken feet can naturally ‘regrow’

A video from the ‘awakeningthemasters’ Instagram account depicts a woman holding a bent spoon

‘The dad is obviously worried about what is happening but he will never get custody because he is living outside of Dubai.

‘This is happening all the time in Dubai but no one realises it because the Foreign Office doesn’t give any warnings.

‘This is not an abstract human-rights issue. It is about children and vulnerable people being harmed behind closed doors while the authorities look the other way because the clients are wealthy and the optics are convenient.’

All the stars who have ditched the UK for Dubai including Luisa Zissman and Kate and Rio Ferdinand

Mr Haigh added the government was failing to advise tourists about the dangers of getting divorced and leaving Dubai after having children in the city.

He said: ‘You might not get your phone stolen in Dubai but they’ll steal your children and your human rights.’

The ‘impressionable’ six-year-old was allegedly taken to meetings where practitioners claimed her feet could heal using ‘theta brainwaves’.

Mr Haigh, who got involved after fearing for the girl’s welfare, added she had since managed to receive some medical treatment but was still very much ‘at risk’ due to living with her mother, who is an advanced practitioner in Theta.

He said a prominent Emirati lawyer, Mrs Samira Garage – the first female to hold the title in Dubai – had been ‘so incensed’ by the case she had filed a criminal complaint herself.

David Haigh (pictured) has revealed the disturbing ongoing case of a six-year-old girl born into a powerful Emirati family whose mother continues to insist both her daughter’s broken feet can naturally ‘regrow’

Women’s Rights Campaigner, Aisha Ali-Khan (pictured), told the Daily Mail people moving over to Dubai were ‘not aware of the risks’

Dubai desert becomes a Christmas Wonderland – but British influencers face backlash for celebrating

Mr Haigh said: ‘Dubai is like the dumping ground of all things banned everywhere else.

‘It’s the conman capital of the world. There’s no way these groups should be operating – they do claim to be a religion and it is basically a religion as opposed to yoga.

‘It needs to be properly regulated – and it’s in contravention of the state religion, Islam.

‘What is most disturbing is that Dubai publicly claims zero tolerance for unlicensed religion and medical fraud – yet Theta Healing is allowed to operate openly in luxury hotels, charging thousands, making god-like claims, and targeting vulnerable families.

‘This double standard puts children at real risk.’

An FAQs page on the ThetaHealing website sees founder Vianna Stibal asked whether she has ‘proof’ of having previously had a problem with a now-apparently-healed cancerous tumour in her leg.

She responds: ‘Of course I do, I am a Capricorn. Besides all the witnesses, I have records, x-rays and MRIs. 2008 was the first time anyone asked me to see them. I now show them at some of my seminars.’

Theta is an American headquartered group run primarily by Ms Stibal, an American citizen.

Other clips show glamorous young women promoting the practice – in one, the influencer Yuliya Kutsaya, boasts of conducting ‘over 3,000 successful theta sessions’

Posters on social media (pictured) advertise recent ThetaHealing events. This one reads: ‘Step into a powerful evening of alignment, intention, and expansion’

Another poster advertising a recent event says attendees will learn all about ‘energy cleansing’, ‘manifesting’ and ‘soulmates’

The disturbing ‘porta potty’ parties where influencers perform vile sex acts in exchange for cash

Among the centres currently operating in Dubai are the Theta Healing Institute of Knowledge, the Home of Wellness Meditation Center and Theta – Illuminations Wellbeing Center.

Ms Stibal has been quoted as claiming it is possible to grow back amputated body parts through Theta, including a leg or ovary – and ‘cancer is one of the easiest things’ to cure.

On ThetaHealing’s website it states Ms Stibal ‘facilitated her own instant healing from cancer in 1995’.

Vianna Stibal’s ThetaHealing account on Instagram has more than 115,000 followers.

The practice has been debunked by the prize-winning physician Edzard Ernst – however, Ms Stibal continues to charge thousands of dollars to train other practitioners.

Flashy posters for the practice often reference the language of ‘manifesting’ – a term, which means ‘willing things into happening’, that has grown in popularity over the last five years and first came to prominence on social media.

Women’s Rights Campaigner, Ms Ali-Khan, told the Daily Mail people moving over to Dubai were ‘not aware of the risks’.

She said: ‘When they go over there they think it’s really wonderful – just like England but really safe.

‘These practitioners suck people in with glossy brochures that have picture of really young and good looking women.

Videos taken from various social media show classes also operating in other countries such as Japan – where attendees at a session in Taipei are pictured cheering and waving for the camera

All the stars who have ditched the UK for Dubai including Luisa Zissman and Kate and Rio Ferdinand

‘There is a lot of political maneuvering behind the scenes and ultimately the information isn’t out there.

‘If this was the UK there would be so many agencies involved – but there isn’t the same infrastructure that we have here.’

Speaking of other dangers in the city, Ms Ali-Khan referenced the example of Marcus Fakana – who, unaware of the laws surrounding the age of consent, was jailed at the age of 18 for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl – as well as an Indian national who had recently gone missing in the city.

‘These are the cases we know of – what about all those we don’t know?’, Ms Ali-Khan said.

Mr Haigh and Ms Ali-Khan say they have obtained a fatwa (an Islamic ruling issued by a head of state) saying ThetaHealing is against the law.

However, the criminal complaint filed by The Emirati lawyer, Mrs Samira Garage, has not resulted in any action being taken.

Mr Haigh said there had been ‘multiple court cases around the world relating to the claims and activities of Theta and its founder Ms Stibal’.

Videos taken from various social media accounts show classes operating in other countries such as Japan – where attendees at a session in Taipei are pictured cheering and waving for the camera.

‘Of course I do, I am a Capricorn. Besides all the witnesses, I have records, x-rays and MRIs’, Ms Stibal responds when asked for proof she healed her own cancer

EXCLUSIVE
My Christmas as a Dubai housewife: A £200,000 stocking filler and Dior for my newborn baby

Other clips show glamorous young women promoting the practice – in one, the influencer Yuliya Kutsaya boasts of conducting ‘over 3,000 successful theta sessions’.

Another, from the ‘awakeningthemasters’ Instagram account depicts a woman holding a bent spoon.

The caption reads: ‘My 1st spoon bending experience’ – a reference to how the influencer had supposedly used the power of her mind to bend the stainless steel.

She said: ‘I have always been fascinated by spoon benders but my mind had a doubt that i can do it!

‘Today I bent this very sturdy spoon from the first attempt. You might think that stainless steel might not bend but energy will.’

She concluded: ‘Planning to add it to the money 2 workshop (make sure to take the pre requisites in November.’

Promoters of Dubai hail its low taxes, luxury attractions and low incidents of petty crime.

The ThetaHealing website insists its training method offers ‘physical, emotional, and spiritual healing’ by ‘tapping into the Theta brain wave and connecting with the Creator Of All That Is.’

A disclaimer right at the end of the FAQs page of the website adds: ‘The remedies, approaches and techniques described herein are not meant to supplement, or be substitute for, professional medical care or treatment.

‘You should not treat a serious medical ailment without prior consultation from a qualified healthcare professional.’

Mr Haigh and Ms Ali-Khan have said they hope ‘DubaiWatch’ will serve to provide people with information so they can make informed decisions before travelling to the city.

Mr Haigh said: ‘Dubai is dangerous, and that is precisely why Aisha and I set up Dubai Watch – Dubai Watch alerts, informs and advises tourists, influencers, expatriates, businesses and investors with the facts, risks and real dangers of Dubai.’

Ms Ali-Khan added: ‘What makes Theta Healing especially alarming in Dubai is the hypocrisy.

‘Ordinary people can be jailed for minor religious infractions, yet a foreign belief system claiming divine healing powers is allowed to flourish openly – because it is profitable and discreetly patronised by the elite.

‘This is not tolerance. It is selective enforcement, and women and children are the collateral damage.’

Vianna Stibal and the government of Dubai have been contacted for comment.