THE first militant on the left in the video is the spokesperson of the Al Nusra battalion. In the video he explained that the second militant to his right had given the Fijian soldiers "a promise of sanctuary". The soldiers were captured during the battle of Quneitra, situated on the line dividing Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The commander leading the battle was the second militant. When they were marching through Quneitra they tried to avoid marching through the UN zone. But heavy casualties were inflicted upon them, so the commanders in the field informed the second militant that there was no other way but to pass through the UN post.
The second militant then went and negotiated with the Fijian troop commander Captain Savenaca Siwatibau Rabuka on 28 August and explained the situation and gave an Islamic oath of undertaking that the Fijians will not be captured and that they will not be considered prisoners of war.
Rabuka conferred with the Indian commander of UNDOF who gave him the OK to pass through the Fijian manned zone. The militants battle was successful but the second militant learned a couple of days later that the Fijian soldiers had been captured by Al Nusra.
He immediately notified the leaders of what had happened, confirming to them that he gave his Islamic oath that they would not be captured or considered prisoners of war. So they conferred with Sheikh Al Fattah - the grand sheikh of Al Nusra (Supreme commander/Leader) who replied that as a Muslim, the vow of honour must be respected and if one of our brethren/leaders, had given such a vow, then it must be honoured.
Accordingly, arrangements were being made and co-ordinations undertaken to hand the soldiers back. The first militant explained that all rumours that had been circulating through the internet/social media/Fiji and international government sites that Al Nusra had formally requested to be removed from the terrorist list organizations etc were false.
They had not asked for such thing. They did not want to be perceived as a bargaining chip. Nor had the Bainimarama government done anything to secure the release of the soldiers. Their release was in response to the second militant's 'Islamic promise' to Rabuka.
On hearing the release of her husband, Fulori Rabuka told Fiji media she thanked God. She should thank the second militant in the video who kept to his promise - neither Bainimarama nor Robin Nair, Aiyaz Khaiyum and Mosese Tokitoga Fisher deserve credit.
Mrs Rabuka said: "I cried out to the Lord and said Lord you know where they are, you are seeing them right now. And it was not human intervention but all God's work that enabled the soldiers to come through. It was a good time as well for us to reflect on our lives. And I know God did not put them there for nothing. They were there for a purpose. There was a pastor who was here counselling us, he asked me the same thing and I said talatala, there was no other officer appointed from the RFMF to be there at the time. He must have a purpose for my husband. It was very comforting to know and believe that God's ways are not our ways."
The two militants who posted their Al Nusra video of the captured soldiers and allowed Captain Rabuka to speak also, inadvertently, or if we are to accept that 'God was at Play', did us a great favour - the former Fiji Sun publisher Russell Hunter was able to recognize Rabuka as one of his kidnappers in 2008.
The commander leading the battle was the second militant. When they were marching through Quneitra they tried to avoid marching through the UN zone. But heavy casualties were inflicted upon them, so the commanders in the field informed the second militant that there was no other way but to pass through the UN post.
The second militant then went and negotiated with the Fijian troop commander Captain Savenaca Siwatibau Rabuka on 28 August and explained the situation and gave an Islamic oath of undertaking that the Fijians will not be captured and that they will not be considered prisoners of war.
Rabuka conferred with the Indian commander of UNDOF who gave him the OK to pass through the Fijian manned zone. The militants battle was successful but the second militant learned a couple of days later that the Fijian soldiers had been captured by Al Nusra.
He immediately notified the leaders of what had happened, confirming to them that he gave his Islamic oath that they would not be captured or considered prisoners of war. So they conferred with Sheikh Al Fattah - the grand sheikh of Al Nusra (Supreme commander/Leader) who replied that as a Muslim, the vow of honour must be respected and if one of our brethren/leaders, had given such a vow, then it must be honoured.
Accordingly, arrangements were being made and co-ordinations undertaken to hand the soldiers back. The first militant explained that all rumours that had been circulating through the internet/social media/Fiji and international government sites that Al Nusra had formally requested to be removed from the terrorist list organizations etc were false.
They had not asked for such thing. They did not want to be perceived as a bargaining chip. Nor had the Bainimarama government done anything to secure the release of the soldiers. Their release was in response to the second militant's 'Islamic promise' to Rabuka.
On hearing the release of her husband, Fulori Rabuka told Fiji media she thanked God. She should thank the second militant in the video who kept to his promise - neither Bainimarama nor Robin Nair, Aiyaz Khaiyum and Mosese Tokitoga Fisher deserve credit.
Mrs Rabuka said: "I cried out to the Lord and said Lord you know where they are, you are seeing them right now. And it was not human intervention but all God's work that enabled the soldiers to come through. It was a good time as well for us to reflect on our lives. And I know God did not put them there for nothing. They were there for a purpose. There was a pastor who was here counselling us, he asked me the same thing and I said talatala, there was no other officer appointed from the RFMF to be there at the time. He must have a purpose for my husband. It was very comforting to know and believe that God's ways are not our ways."
The two militants who posted their Al Nusra video of the captured soldiers and allowed Captain Rabuka to speak also, inadvertently, or if we are to accept that 'God was at Play', did us a great favour - the former Fiji Sun publisher Russell Hunter was able to recognize Rabuka as one of his kidnappers in 2008.
