PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has assured Fijians that the safety and security of public buildings, including places of worship is guaranteed under Fiji’s laws.
Responding to a letter to the editor by Navneet Ram of Lautoka, on what the Government was doing to ensure the safety and sanctity of all places of worship, especially Hindu temples across Fiji, Mr Rabuka strongly condemned the attacks on places of worship. “Churches, temples, shrines and mosques are particularly sacrosanct and are held in very high regard by all right thinking and law-abiding citizens,” he said.
“With regards to the recent attacks on Hindu places of worship in Suva, I have condemned these attacks, and I thank the Fiji Police Force for the prompt arrest and the production in court of the alleged perpetrators.
“As a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country, all of us who call Fiji home should learn to respect and view as tabu, or sacred our places of worship.”
Meanwhile, in response to concerns that some provinces or vanua felt excluded during the recent Tui Nayau installation ceremony, Mr Rabuka said it was heartwarming to witness the vibrant expression of Fijian rituals and practices, celebrating the aged-old customs. “The recent installation of the Turaga Tui Nayau, Sau ni Vanua o Lau, Tui Lau was a vanua-organised event and it would be prudent on my part to refrain from making any public commentary except to say that it was truly heartwarming to personally witness the vibrant expression of Fijian rituals and practices, celebrating the aged-old customs of veivakaturagataki and veivakamenemenei in our chiefly installation ceremonies.”
