Indonesian’s superstitions can affect politics

Anyone who has spent time in Indonesia will be aware of the superstitions locals have. Whether you call it culture, religion, tradition or superstition, a lot of the customs here amount to the same thing, an attempt to influence future events, by small, seemingly unrelated actions.

Ika told me that because Jevon has a birth mark on his foot, he will be a great walker and traveller. Javanese as well as Balinese believe offerings must be placed at junctions to ward off evil spirits, who cause accidents. The list goes on, and the ancient animist culture of ancenstor worship and the important of maintaining a balance between good and evil still persists.

VOA points out that even huge events such as the Asian tsunami and Java tsunami can be interpretted as evidence that the Gods are not happy, and actually blamed on a single person, President SBY.