Places of worship are sacred and must be protected as spaces of peace, reflection, and community, said Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Director, Loukinikini Lewaravu.
She said the Commission is concerned by the alleged act of sacrilege at the Samabula Shiv Mandir.
“Such an attack strikes at the heart of a community’s identity and spiritual life, and undermines the principles of dignity, respect, and religious tolerance that are enshrined in Fiji’s Constitution and international human rights law,” she said.
“The right to manifest one’s religion in worship, observance, and practice is a fundamental human right protected under Section 22 of the Fijian Constitution.”
She added these rights are also protected under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Fiji is a State Party.
“Places of worship are sacred and must be protected as spaces of peace, reflection, and community.”
“Any desecration of such spaces is an affront to our shared values of tolerance, respect, and multiculturalism, and poses a direct threat to social cohesion in Fiji.”
The Commission is urging Fiji Police to thoroughly investigate this incident and bring the perpetrators to face the full brunt of the law.
