President Barrack Obama finally came "home" to Indonesia despite the risks of volcanic ash to air travel from Mount Merapi which erupted on Oct 26. Obama could not disappoint Indonesia again after aborting two previous planned visits to the country where he spent four years as a young boy from 1967-1971.


NONEAs Obama himself said in his speech in Jakarta on Wednesday that he is visiting Indonesia at a difficult time - he was referring to the natural disasters in Indonesia recently. He was expressing his concern for the victims of recent floods in Wasior, Papua, an earthquake and tsunami in Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra and the volcanic eruptions of Mount Merapi in central Jawa.

Obama said his thoughts and prayers were with the victims and the families of those killed and displaced in the disasters.

191 people have died, thousands have fled from the fury of Merapi, the ash and lava have destroyed hundreds of hectares of fertile agricultural land and forests. More than 300,000 people have sought shelter to safer zones from fires, ash, suffocating smell of sulphur and lahars that cascade down the slopes of volcano. This is the biggest eruption of Merapi since the 1870s.

Indonesia, a nation of 17,000 islands is surrounded by seas and active volcanoes on the Ring of Fire.

NONENatural disasters elicit different reactions from people. Obama, the president of the only super power today, expressed his sympathy for the people of Indonesia who have endured some of the world's major disasters. Obama's expression of sympathy was carried live on global TV networks as he was on a state visit to Indonesia.

Many ordinary people, too, have expressed their concerns for the victims of the disasters through their generous contributions and aid assistance. During the 2004 tsunami, aid flowed for the victims particularly for Acheh where 200,000 people died.

Their philanthropic giving was not on the basis of religion or even God. Their giving was motivated by the love for fellow human beings - in this case the victims of natural disasters in Indonesia, the most populous Islamic nation.

Seeking divine help in desperate times

People do turn to the power and greatness of God even in the midst of rubble, death and injuries. They call out to God for divine assistance. There are times when victims of unfathomable disasters are angry with God.

However, there is a group who sometimes in the name of God blame the victims for the natural disasters. Politicians and preachers seem to fall into this category. They blame the victims for the tragedies of natural disasters. Tifatul Sembiring, the current Indonesian Communications and Information Technology Minister, said moral "depravity and decadence" had led to the natural catastrophes. This is outrageous.

NONEKedah and Perlis , the northern states of Malaysia have been severely hit by floods recently. I have been told that some religious teachers are  telling their congregation that  God is punishing the men in Kedah and Perlis for their sinful pleasure trips to Southern Thailand !

How can anyone blame innocent victims for natural disasters like floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions?

Volcanic eruptions do not happen because people are immoral or as Indonesian academic Sunan Kalijaga of the State Islamic University says the tsunami did not happen because the people were rebellious to the central government in Jakarta nor because they failed to enact Sharia law as they do now. As Sunan points out, religious norms and ethics are not the root causes of disasters.

Those who were burned by hot lava and ash were not punished by God for their wrong doings. Historical and religious texts have documented natural disasters that are beyond human control.

References to the great floods experienced by Noah and his people are found in the Bible, the Quran, and Babylonian and Sumerian texts. As pointed out in Sunan's article in the Jakarta Post recently, "Noah and his people were confronted with a great flood - a story preserved and reenacted several times in the Babylonian texts, Sumerian texts, the Bible, the Quran and other Mediterranean traditions."

Nature vents wrath without discrimination

Furthermore, the Bible and Quran also record the accounts of tribes, people, and villages destroyed by earthquakes, heavy rain, fire and plague.

NONEJust over a thousand years ago, the volcanic rage of Mount Merapi forced the old Javanese Kingdom to move from Central Java to East Java. Borobudur Temple, which stands as a testament to the ancient Javanese architecture, was buried by the ash. An earthquake devastated Prambanan and other nearby temples many times.

Human responses to natural disasters include a religious element, says Bernard Adeney Risakotta of the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies. He points out that " transcendent, unfathomable suffering that arrives suddenly, without warning, elicits a sense of awe."

There are always conflicts between scientific, religious and mythological explanations of natural disasters. Science provides objective and rational understanding of disasters, religion and mythology give symbolic meanings to them. The scientific community has explained that most earthquakes are caused by plate tectonics.

But there are too many mythological stories about mountains, volcanoes, rivers and seas in all cultures. According to Risakotta, there are many mythological stories about Merapi like the stories of 'Grandfather Merapi', a buried witch or a sleeping dragon.

Sindhunata, an Indonesian Catholic priest, relates that Javanese villagers who lived in his parish on the slopes of Mt. Merapi believe in a male deity (or power) referred to as Grandfather Merapi (Mbah Merapi). "Eruptions of the volcano are part of the everyday lives of these people. From the volcano comes the amazing fertility of the land, but also the threat of death. The volcano is beautiful but also dangerous and awesome."

The necessity to delve into ancient knowledge

These stories are all moral accounts that demand reverence for the earth and a certain relationship with nature. I agree with Risakotta that these stories are not to be discarded as superstitious myths.

NONEHe adds, "there is a significant danger that the moral truths embodied in the stories may simply be replaced by modern myths of progress and scientific enlightenment which provide few resources for either reverencing the earth or facing the tragedy of natural disasters."

The indigenous people of Malaysia, too, have many stories that signify the critical importance of human-ecological balance in their daily activities. Sadly, these stories may soon vanish like the natural environment around them.

Risakotta emphasises that "one of the challenges for a theology of natural disaster is to integrate ancient cultural stories, theological refection and modern scientific understanding in a convincing account of the cosmos. The stories challenge us to honor the natural world and resist unrestrained exploitation of the earth."

My friends Herry, Dicky, Yuli, Rizal, Tatak, Nadia and others are going through some challenging times in Yogyakarta. They are playing key roles in projects that contribute to sustainable livelihoods and the human-ecological balance of a great nation, Indonesia. They need our support, sympathy and concern, as they too are victims. 

JOSIE M FERNANDEZ is currently an Asian Public Intellectual Fellow, director of Philanthropy Asia, consultant and researcher. Working on sustainability, philanthropy and anti-corruption actions are some of her current passions besides writing.