God's Curse?

I just read a short story entitled “Kutukan Tuhan” (God’s curse) in Suara Merdeka, a local newspaper. The writer is one “big” writer in Indonesia, Putu Wijaya. He beautifully “criticized” the way people related natural disasters to God’s curse.

I once heard/read an article about people—I assume they are Muslim people—suspected that the earthquake happened in Yogya coz of God’s anger. The worst area damaged by the earthquake last May 27, 2006 was Bantul, an area where many people converted from Islam to another religion. That rumor stated, “It is God’s hint that they must atone by converting back to Islam.”

It made me question how about Tsunami? It happened more than 2 years ago in Aceh where the majority of the inhabitants are Muslim. Of course the victims were majority Muslims too.
However, Putu Wijaya’s short story is not related to that “apostate” thing. God’s curse came to those sinful and bad people.

How hurtful and not empathetic that “accusation” is.

I suppose that those people suffering from the earthquake will feel hurt when knowing that they were accused as sinful and bad so that they deserved to be punished like that.

While in fact, there are still many other people who have done much more harmful things to other people (e.g. corruptors) still survive “peacefully” and enjoy the “hot” money.

And how those people who say that the earthquake was coz of “God’s curse” have become wise guy. Have they become God themselves so that they daringly said that the earthquake was coz of God’s curse?

What is going on with the way people think and view events, natural disasters, etc?

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