Date: 11-09-02

Posting at http://www.cultnews.com/ by Rick Ross (http://www.rickross.com)

Saturday, December 07, 2002

Posted by Rick Ross at 10:09 AM

NY Times lauds "cult" leader and accused pedophile

Without so much as a mention of the controversy that swirls around purported"cult leader" Sai Baba, Keith Bradsher of the New York Times proclaims the accused pedophile and sexual predator "A Friend in India to all the world."

Huh?

The President of India did drop in at the guru's ashram for a "blessing" and Bradsher dutifully reported about the visit. However, should a politician's gesture to a prominent constituent be any reason to ignore the man's sordid history?

Supposed "holy man" Sai Baba does have a large following and controls millions of dollars through his charities, but according to numerous first-hand accounts he also likes to practice "sexual healing" on boys.

Only last year UNESCO cancelled its co-sponsorship of a conference with the guru saying it was "deeply concerned about widely reported allegations of sexual abuse involving youth and children that have been leveled at the leader."

Like many other gurus, often called "cult leaders," Sai Baba has his share of celebrity admirers. His list includes Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of the Hard Rock Cafe and Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew's former wife.

The London Sunday Telegraph and India Today magazine have reported extensively about Sai Baba sexual proclivities, which apparently includes the children of his followers.

A former Swedish film star, Conny Larsson alleged the guru regularly performed oral sex on him and asked for it in return. This was somehow a spiritual effort to correct the Swede's "kundalini" energy.

Right.

How could the New York Times, often called the "paper of record," overlook all this information?

Three suicides have been linked to Sai Baba, one was an alleged victim of the guru's sexual abuse.