A resident walks at an area hit by the earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, October 4, 2018. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — Muslims in Selangor were told in today’s Friday sermon that some disasters are not natural, but instead “divine reminders” in response to “cruelty” committed by humankind.

Quoting Quranic verses, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) said this “cruelty” can take the form of vices and sins, listing illicit sex, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgenders (LGBT), and not covering up as some of the examples.

“This verse explains that we are always under the observation of Allah the creator. Whatever calamity that befalls humans must have its reason whether realised or not.

“What is certain, no ruin is imparted but for humans’ own cruelty,” said the sermon delivered to mosques in the state.

“This cruelty is defined as idolatry towards Allah, and all forms of vices and sins done by humans, including missing prayers, ‘zina’, LGBT, drinking alcohol, gambling, revealing the ‘aurat’, taking usury, and so on,” it added.

The sermon also lamented that some quarters are defending drug abuse, usury, consensual sex and the menace of LGBT as just personal vices and sins that should not be punishable by law.

It cited Quranic verses 28:59 and 11:82 to 83 to back its argument.

“Remember that not all disasters that happen are merely natural disasters. Instead, there are also disasters that are reminders from Allah,” it said.

Last week, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and tsunami on the west coast of Sulawesi island struck the city of Palu.

The official death toll stands at 1,424 in the small city of 370,000 people.

Straddling the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia has long been vulnerable to quakes and tsunamis.

But some Muslim evangelists in Malaysia have claimed the deadly disaster as “divine punishment” against residents of the city, inviting backlash from the public.