Sanguma, puripuri a primitive culture

Letters, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday 29th November 2011

There is no sanguma, black magic or puripuri in PNG. 
They are remnants of the Stone Age and primitive cultures of our societies. 
Let us be a progressive country moving into the modern era and do away with such beliefs.
Let us treat this giaman system with disdain and for what it is – lies and nothing but lies. 
Many innocent people have been slaughtered because idiots and lunatics are holding on to a primitive belief that has no relevance in our modern-day society.
Take for example, a womanising politician, public servant or businessman.
This person died from HIV/AIDS or TB.
This death is preventable had he decided to live a less promiscuous life. 
But because he died relatively young, the illiterate relatives blamed innocent people for his death, people who have absolutely nothing to do with the person’s chosen lifestyle. 
Another scenario: an overweight person dies and the relatives blame the magic man or sorcerers for cau­sing the death.
The deceased could have died from a heart attack but the relatives chose to blame a poor innocent villager and victimised him or her.
I want all educated Papua New Guineans to take a leadership role on this issue and communicate to their respective communities that this inhuman and atrocious behaviour is more than 100 years past its use-by date. 
Let us move forward, not backwards. 
Let us make PNG a safe, free and equitable place for our people.

Okuk Mori Rogerson
Sydney Australia