Sheep News: 'Mr president, please slaughter 1 000 sheep'

Sometimes the world seems bizarre.
Well, read for yourself. But please, do not slaughter 1000 sheep to prevent earthquakes in Indonesia. That's a waste (but 1000 sheep for some nice Indonesian dishes...).

Jakarta - Indonesia's president said on Tuesday he had been told to slaughter 1 000 sheep to prevent a repeat of the disastrous quakes that have hit his country, but he rejected the advice as superstitious nonsense.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he had been bombarded with telephone text messages saying sacrificial lambs could calm the seismic forces that have claimed thousands of lives.

"I have received many SMSs which say: 'Mr president, please slaughter 1,000 sheep',"

Yudhoyono was quoted as saying by the state news agency Antara.

Yudhoyono urged the public not to believe in superstitions, saying that earthquakes were a natural phenomenon and could be explained scientifically.

Indonesia is a mainly Muslim country but belief in ancient mystic practices is still ingrained in the lives of many citizens.


Source: IOL (South Africa) news article: 'Mr president, please slaughter 1 000 sheep'