Susilo prays for a little good luck<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Religious ceremonies have always been part of state life in
\nIndonesia, but in Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration these
\nceremonies are taking a new form and meaning.<\/p>\n
Dismayed by a series of mishaps and disasters since he took
\noffice on Oct. 20, Susilo invited about 70 people to a prayer
\nmeant to purge his administration of bad luck.<\/p>\n
Led by noted preacher Abdul Rachman al-Habsy, the ceremony at
\nthe presidential compound's Baiturrahman Mosque lasted for about
\nfour hours and included prayers and Koran readings.<\/p>\n
This same group of people sometimes holds prayers at Susilo's
\nprivate residence in Cikeas, Bogor, West Java. None of Susilo's
\nfive predecessors held such gatherings at the presidential
\ncompound.<\/p>\n
\"We were only praying for the President's welfare and safety
\nso he can lead the country for the next five years. Disasters are
\nalways part of our life and we have to look at ourselves to see
\nwhat we have done wrong,\" Al-Habsy said after the ceremony on
\nThursday night.<\/p>\n
He refused to say the ceremony was meant to cast away bad
\nluck, but underlined: \"In every life, there are events that force
\nus to return to God and ask for assistance.\"<\/p>\n
He said it was the first time he led such a ceremony for the
\nPresident at the palace.<\/p>\n
\"We were called this afternoon to have the gathering here and
\nnot in Cikeas,\" the preacher said.<\/p>\n
A string of natural disasters and fatal accidents have plagued
\ncountry over the past two months, claiming dozens of lives. These
\naccidents included a fatal crash after officers stopped traffic
\non the toll road to allow the President's entourage to pass.<\/p>\n
In a recent bus accident in Bantul, Yogyakarta, a legislator
\nfrom Susilo's Democratic Party was killed.<\/p>\n
In addition to these accidents, one of Susilo's aides told The
\nJakarta Post the President had been losing sleep since moving
\ninto Merdeka Palace.<\/p>\n
\"There are many disturbances that keep the President from
\nsleeping,\" the aide said, refusing to explain the exact nature of
\nthese disturbances.<\/p>\n
Some of the palace's staff say there are ghosts in the palace,
\nand only people like founding president Sukarno and former
\npresident Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid, also an Islamic cleric,
\ncan live with such disturbances.<\/p>\n
These kinds of religious ceremonies are not totally alien to
\nthe presidential office.<\/p>\n
Former president Soeharto was known for a group of shamans who
\nlooked after his welfare and were said to have visited remote
\nplaces to gain spiritual strength.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Gus Dur visited many grave sites during his
\npresidency. Being a cleric himself, he reportedly had many genies
\nto assist him.<\/p>\n
Susilo's predecessor, Megawati Soekarnoputri, once held a
\nceremony with nine Hindu leaders to wash the sacred objects
\nbelonging to her family.<\/p>\n
\"We have to leave everything in God's hands, that is why we
\nheld these prayers,\" Al-Habsy said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/susilo-prays-for-a-little-good-luck-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}