Leader slaughters goats to ward off evil?

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Goat sacrificing in Pakistan

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/27/zardari-goat-sacrifice-claims-sadiqa

Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari 'practises animal sacrifice'

Zardari has black goat killed 'quite often' at his Islamabad house, says spokesman Farhatullah Babar

Swamped by court challenges and under pressure from a hostile army, Pakistan's president, Asif Ali Zardari, has found solace in an unusual form – the ritual slaughter of goats.

Zardari has a black goat killed every day at his Islamabad house to ward off "evil eyes" and protect himself against "black magic", according to a report in Dawn, Pakistan's paper of record.

Spokesman Farhatullah Babar confirmed the president practises sadiqa, or the sacrifice of an animal whose meat is distributed among the poor. "I have seen it been done. Not exactly every day, but quite often, yes," he told the Guardian.

But he denied its purpose was to fend off malevolent spirits. "The main belief is that this practice invokes the pleasure of God. The corollary is that bad things will not happen, of course, but that's a matter of interpretation," he said.

He added that Zardari's wife, Benazir Bhutto, performed sadiqa regularly after returning to Pakistan in late 2007, a few months before she was killed in a suicide attack.

The goat revelations provide fresh meat for Zardari's many enemies. With sections of the media and military openly arrayed against him, the president's popularity ratings have plunged to the low teens.

Last week, long-standing corruption allegations resurfaced in the supreme court, where rivals appear to be preparing a legal attempt to oust him from office.

As Zardari's woes multiplied, detractors have portrayed him as a lonely and paranoid figure, fearful of leaving the heavily-secured presidency.

But in recent weeks the president has come out swinging, addressing rallies in Sindh and Punjab provinces where he accused unnamed "hidden forces" of conspiring against him – code for the army.

The legal attempt, led by the powerful chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, has also drawn controversy, with some of the country's most prominent lawyers expressing reservations about the anti-Zardari drive.

Zardari, who came to power in September 2007, is struggling to shake off his association with corruption and his nickname "Mister 10%". Aides say he is the victim of a concerted slur campaign.

Reports that Zardari keeps a camel on the grounds of the presidency in order to drink its milk for reasons of superstition are "absolutely false" said his spokesman.

"If that was true we would have stories that the camel cost half a million pounds, is being treated as a VIP, and that the president had a conversation with Gordon Brown about the quality of camels," he said.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2010/01/superstitious-politicians-zardar...

Superstitious Politicians: Zardari's Goat Sacrifice

January 29, 2010 10:47 AM

Politicians are no strangers to superstitious rituals – during Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, his chief strategist David Axelrod carried a pink quartz heart in his pocket to bring good luck, former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was famous for consulting soothsayers and astrologers and Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari has been slaughtering black goats every day since becoming President, in an attempt to ward off “the evil eye”.

This particular practice in the Muslim faith is called ‘Sadaqa’, where an animal is slaughtered and its meat distributed among the poor to gain Allah’s blessings and protection from misfortune. “There are many religious traditions in Pakistan based on local culture and Sufi order,” says Samina Ahmed, Head of the International Crisis Group in Pakistan.

Zardari In a speech made to his party members in Lahore early this month, Zardari said that the ‘pen’ and the ‘Bayonet’ are after him (implying Judiciary and the Military), but he vowed that he will fight on. Zardari also talks often about of “conspiracies being hatched against him.”

With the ‘pen’ and the ‘bayonet’ against him in his own words, he certainly needs that blessing and protection more than ever. Pakistan being a parliamentary form of government, the President’s position is that of a figurehead but successive military coups have given the president more powers.

Furthermore, in addition to his official position Zardari also holds the office of the co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party, a post he shares with his young son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. A position that makes him a central figure in all key government decisions, since his party is ruling the country.

Apart from the previous government , no democratic government has ever completed its five-year term in office. Already there are rumors according to Ms Ahmed that “the present elected government may be overturned before half way through its term.”

“The elected government is under a lot of pressure from many quarters, both internal and external,” Ahmed says.

In order to cope with the pressure, it seems that Zardari cannot just rely on human help, and is seeking divine help as well.