Saturday, January 30, 2010

South Asian superstitions

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. Spokesman Farhatullah Babar confirmed the president practises sadiqa, or the sacrifice of an animal whose meat is distributed among the poor. 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.

Related:

Pakistan President Pursues Personal Preservation through Animal Sacrifice

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