Not Your Mama's Protest

Bush faced some very well organized and angry protesters in Indonesia but nothing is as terrifying as the fact that one Indonesian put a freakin' CURSE on him:

Of President Bush, Indonesia And Curse Of Shaman Ki Gendeng

By Mohd nasir Yusoff

BOGOR, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- If there is someone that can be said to have gained something from the planned visit by US President George W. Bush to this Rain Town on Monday, he has to be shaman Ki Gendeng Pamungkas.

The lone act by the witch doctor was the most outstanding among the thousands including the non-governmental organisations that staged hundreds of protests nationwide for the past two weeks against Bush's 10-hour visit.

Be it for the hardly right or extremely wrong reasons, Ki Gendeng has become the talk of the town after his performance of putting the evil curse (santau) on Bush at Kujang Square Thursday was prominently reported by the local press together with his photo in the act.

Claiming that he was putting the curse, using blood from a goat he slaughtered, a snake and a black crow following the requests from thousands of Indonesians who called him up and submitted to him their signatures, he said, he did that not because he did not like Americans but because he hated Bush.

Commenting on Ki Gendeng's act online, many Indonesians were of the opinion that it was nothing more than the most entertaining show for the day but others said it reflected badly on the country's image.

On the ongoing protests and demonstrations, some urged fellow citizens involved to give it at least two thoughts before burning the US flags and pictures of Bush, asking them how they would feel if citizens of other countries do the same thing to state symbols of Indonesia.

"Give some thoughts to the feelings of friendly Americans before they retaliated by urging their government to chase out the thousands of Indonesian workers and students now in the US, and boycott all Indonesian products," said another.

One other said in jest that if the curse worked on Bush and his entourage, said to be in trance upon entering the Bogor Palace for the meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, then Ki Gendeng could be laughing all the way to the bank.

"He would be in demand worldwide and would be employed even by the CIA and the Arabs to get rid of their enemies and if he fails, Indonesia will become the laughing stock of the world," the commentator added.

A social analyst, Salleh Dani told Bernama Friday that he was saddened to read about the widely reported demonstration against Bush not because he was pro Bush or the scheduled visit but because it was proven so easy for anyone to distract Indonesians from focusing on their effort on earning a living.

"Thousands left their workplaces for so unproductive reason just to show their unheeded anger towards a super power which could not be bothered at all while we Indonesians continue to lament on how hard it is to make ends meet," he said.

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