Promiscuous women cause earthquakes, claims Iranian cleric

"When promiscuity spreads, earthquakes increase," Hojatoleslam Kazim Sadeghi said during prayers on Friday, a video of which was later posted on YouTube.

"There is no way other than taking refuge in religion and adapting ourselves to Islamic behavior," he added.

Sadeghi is a senior cleric who was last year appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei as a substitute prayer leader in Tehran, a powerful position with Khamenei himself being the official prayer leader.

Iran has suffered greatly from earthquakes, with one in the city of Bam killing tens of thousands in 2003.

Sadeghi is not the first religious figure to blame the natural disasters on human behaviour.

US televangelist Pat Robertson previously said that Haiti's devastating earthquake was down to an alleged pact the Haitians had made with the devil in the 18th century.

(independent.co.uk)