Kyrgyz MPs sacrifice rams to banish "evil spirits"

[immoderate]

Kyrgyz MPs sacrifice rams to banish "evil spirits"

By Olga Dzyubenko Olga Dzyubenko – Thu Apr 21, 11:59 am ET

BISHKEK (Reuters) – Members of Kyrgyzstan's divided parliament slaughtered seven rams before their morning session on Thursday, in a sacrifice they hope will banish "evil spirits" disrupting their work.

...

Kyrgyzstan, which lies on a drug trafficking route out of Afghanistan and hosts both Russian and U.S. military air bases, saw its president toppled by a violent revolt last April. More than 400 people were killed in ethnic riots in June.

"We decided to resort to popular customs, in order for this building not to see bloodshed anymore," member of parliament Myktybek Abdyldayev told Reuters after the rams were sacrificed on a green lawn in front of the government headquarters.

...

But Ondorush Toktonasyrov, one of those who led last year's protests that toppled President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, scoffed at the ritual as "a sign of backward mentality."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110421/od_nm/us_kyrgyzstan_sacrifice

Ondorush would be lynched here.

--imm

[immoderate]

1. This should be in LBN -- it's too good for GD!

--imm

[immoderate]

2. Frivolous!

[brooklynite]

3. The only difference between this and Catholic exorcism...

...is that they at least get lamb chops....

[immoderate]

4. It was a keep your son Jacob alive card for Abraham.

People forget he wound up coughing up a ram to sacrifice.

--imm