Tifatul, Where Is The Red Nose and Over-sized Shoes?

Tifatul Sembiring (aka TitS) is not one to miss an opportunity to take the tragic outcomes of a natural disaster and use it to inflict more pain and suffering on those who have already lost so much. The question needs to be asked, "why is this clown still a Minister?" He is an embarrassment as a minister, he is an embarrassment as a man, and he is undoubtedly an embarrassment to Indonesia.

When SBY makes it back form Hanoi after having left early from an ASEAN Summit to deal with the natural disasters of late that have plagued Indonesia, one of his earliest pieces of business after visiting the various disaster zones in Mentawai in Western Sumatra, Mount Merapi in the Yogyakarta area and the flooded areas of Jakarta should be to fire TitS.

The idea that these natural disasters are an opportunity to comment on the sinfulness of the community at large and that these disasters are nothing more than God's way of settling the score is something one might expect from the Westboro Baptist Church. The very idea of a vengeful God runs counter to the basic tenets of all religions, doesn't it?

But, as TitS is prone to do, his fingers got into gear way before his brain and out goes the Tweet that says to the effect “if they deny Our verses, then we will curse them for whatever (sins) they commit”. What exactly does that mean Mr TitS? Does that mean innocent men, women and children are being punished because of pornography or does it mean that if Indonesia does not become an Islamic state where there is 100% adherence to the faith that this is tantamount to "denying 'our' verses" and leaving God no option but to kill people at will through natural disasters?

The first Tweet that I saw from TitS was one that suggested those in need could contact certain organisations for assistance. Another was about those wanting to donate could do so through the Indonesian Red Cross (I think). However, it was only a matter of time before this religious oriented Tweet was made. Once again, TitS disappointed in his inability to exhibit any self control. If he truly believes that this is a case of a vengeful God settling the score, then so be it. He does not need to Tweet that and add to the pain and suffering already out there in the community.

The eruption of Mount Merapi claimed the life of her spiritual protector, Mbah Marijan. So, TitS, what was his sin?

Postscript:
Having perused the news I discovered that TitS is not the only one connecting these natural disasters to matters of religion. Din Syamsuddin, Head of Muhammadiyah, has also suggested that Indonesia's leaders introspect and think seriously about the sins of the nation.

Just as an aside. If these are connected to sin and God is being pro-active in making them happen, then they are not really natural disasters but part of the intelligent design of an all powerful God. So, maybe they are not natural disasters but God disasters?

Earthquakes in Indonesia...

Did you feel it?

I get notifications from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) when earthquakes happen. It is a free service, but you have to sign up and register to get it. I signed up because we have family in Indonesia, and earthquakes are a regular occurrence. So, it is sometimes better to know what is happening in real time rather than waiting for it to appear on a news service at a later time.

The Big One -- Just Around the Corner?

News that the scientists (from the Bandung Institute of Technology and Singapore's Earth Observatory) have now done their analyzing and have determined that the recent earthquakes in West Sumatra, Indonesia, were not the "big one" that many of them are predicting to occur. Estimates of when the fateful day range over the next ten years. It would seem that predicting big earthquakes is not always an exact science. However, like anything else practice makes perfect, so presumably with more data, the guesstimates can become more accurate.

The scientists are predicting that the big one is likely to be off a magnitude of 8.8+ on the Richter Scale. Nevertheless, this depends on whether the earth sees fit to release all this energy that continues to build up over time in one big burst or a couple of smaller bursts of energy. The scientists, it seems, are leaning towards a big one. The reason being that the most recent earthquakes have not released enough of the pressure forcing the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates together.

Now, an earthquake of a magnitude of 8.8+ is likely to unleash a wave of destruction in the form of a tsunami. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Aceh and other places in the region in 2004 was of a magnitude 9.1. With the predicted earthquake's centre expected to be just off the coast of West Sumatra, and somewhere between Padang and Bengkulu, then the damage and death counts are likely to be high.

My wife and I have family in that part of Sumatra, and it is always a worry when we hear of earthquakes in the region. So, to think that the big one might be just around the corner is not good news.

(Graphic courtesy of here)

Australian Humour?

A major earthquake, measuring 9.1 on the Richter Scale, has hit New Zealand this morning. The country has been devastated with 350,000 New Zealanders reported missing and more than 100,000 injured.

The country is in ruins and the government has issued a worldwide appeal for immediate assistance to respond to the unfolding humanitarian disaster. The world has been quick to respond with:

Britain flying in rescue workers and sniffer dogs to locate trapped victims; the USA flying in food supplies and aid money; France is flying in doctors, nurses, and first aid units; Japan is flying in high-tech communications equipment; Germany is flying in specially trained police units to help restore and maintain order; China is flying in tents and warm clothing; the Australian government is flying in 350,000 replacement Kiwis...

My apologies to any of my readers, especially any of my NZ readers, who do not appreciate this brand of Australian humour. However, all the Kiwis I have ever known have always given as good as they have ever received.

Just in case, this is something that came in through my inbox...