Religious zealots strike at Harry Potter again

"From some of the conversations I've heard, the movie and the book itself is based upon witchcraft," said Gennice Diggs, vice president of Women of Destiny International, a local ministry that tutors children in reading, math and character development. "This is not something that we would not have as an assignment for the children or in the classroom. It's something that parents should pay closer attention to and look into and research themselves before they actually allow their children to view or to read."

"In today's climate, with the occults and Satanism, we can be desensitizing our children to the dangers of occults and Satanism," said the Rev. Travis Coleman, pastor of First Baptist Church in Prattville. "With books like Harry Potter, though, they have some good themes and lean toward good morals and character values."

"Most of my friends agree with me," she said. "I once was a reader of Harry Potter and I realised that I was slowly getting sucked in by it, so I found some bible verses that helped me out."

Ms. Presser claimed the author of the Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling, had studied mythology and the occult. She also said the books were related to real occult happenings, spirits and spells.