Don't be superstitious about earthquakes: President
Don't be superstitious about earthquakes: President
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Slaughtering sheep will not prevent earthquakes: President
JAKARTA: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono revealed on Tuesday
that he had been told to slaughter 1,000 sheep and to do other
rituals to prevent further earthquakes.
He told some 200 members of the Family Welfare Movement (PKK)
not to be superstitious about earthquakes, asserting that there
was a scientific explanation for such natural disasters.
"There is a scientific explanation for the series of
earthquakes; don't be superstitious ... There was an sms (short
message system) sent to me, saying Mr. President please slaughter
1,000 sheep," Susilo said, referring to the telephone text
messages.
Such a suggestion was not the only one as the President said
that he had been bombarded by "a huge number" of similar wacky
text messages.
"If I followed all of them, I would not have been able to
visit the disaster-hit areas to give instructions to respond to
the emergency situation. That is why I did not follow those
suggestions," the President said.
Susilo said that he and his family had been praying to ask for
protection from God for their family and the nation.
The President has held a series of prayer meetings at his
private residence in Cikeas (Cibubur, West Java) and at Merdeka
Palace.
During his official address to commence the 6th PKK national
meeting, the President explained to the women members that
earthquakes were a natural phenomenon.
He acknowledged that he had discussed the matter with the
Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) and an earthquake expert
during his recent visit to New Zealand.
A string of natural disasters and accidents have plagued the
country over the past six month, claiming hundreds of thousands
of lives.
These include last year's tsunami in Aceh and Nias, the latest
earthquakes in Nias, Simelue and Padang, and the fatal crash of
an Australian military helicopter during a relief mission in
Nias. -- Muninggar Sri Saraswati