Preacher gets dengue

Preacher gets dengue

JAKARTA (JP): Celebrated Moslem preacher Zainuddin M.Z. has
become the latest victim of the dengue fever outbreak which has
spread throughout the country.

Zainuddin was forced to call off scheduled sermons for mass
prayer gatherings at the Sabilul Hasanah Islamic Boarding School
in Musi Banyuasin (Muba) regency and the South Sumatra capital of
Palembang Saturday.

The chairman of the boarding school, M. Mudarris, was quoted
by Antara as saying that he was informed by telephone Saturday
morning that the preacher had been admitted to the Gandaria
Hospital in South Jakarta.

The news came as an obvious disappointment to the large crowd
already gathered at the boarding school, many who had traveled
from all over Palembang and nearby Muba regency.

The people, however, chanted the Al-Fatihah prayer wishing
Zainuddin a speedy recovery. Another Jakarta-based preacher,
Sayyid Al Aqil Husein Al Munawar, came to replace Zainuddin.

The dengue outbreak has claimed 207 lives and hospitalized
7,585 people. (byg)