The Fiji Times has been penalized once before under your brother's Media Decree for publishing a Letters to the Editor; and its bosses have been dragged before the court for publishing another - frankly speaking, we had not even seen the 'LETTER', and so must have many Fijians, but Wasea Bhasha has a wider reach and audience - for being a
State channel

Fijileaks to DPP: 'It is alleged that Nemani Bainivalu and Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum of Fiji Broadcasting Commission, made, or caused to be broadcast, statements in the iTaukei, Hindi, and  English languages that is likely to incite dislike, hatred, or antagonism of the
i-Taukei community'

* Indigenous Fijians are inferior because they fail in universities and they spend more time participating in sports

In booting Opposition Whip Ratu Isoa Tikoca out of Parliament, the FFP dominated Privileges Committee stated it was protecting Fiji's children from his (Ratu Isoa's) type of racial profiling and vilification of the Muslim community. But what about FBC's Nemani Bainivalu and
Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum?:
* Indigenous Fijians are academically poor because they do not know how to read in English

* Indigenous Fijians are inferior because they fail in universities and they spend more time participating in sports - FBC's Nemani Bainivalu

REDUCED FROM HEROES TO ZEROS: Fiji's Olympics Gold winners with FFP Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama

* Indigenous Fijians are academically poor because they do not know how to read in English:

* The teachers are ineffective because they are mostly "grog dope":

From Fijileaks Archive

Ratu Isoa OUT of Parliament

Like the Fiji Times trio, Bainivalu can be accused of making antagonistic comments against the native Fijians, comments which non-native Fijian school children could employ to look down on native Fijian students as academically DUMB. And FBC CEO Riyaz Sayed Khaiyum could be charged alongside Bainivalu, despite Riyaz Khaiyum claiming that any suggestions of INCITEMENT are not correct!

From Fijileaks Archive, 31 January 2016:

Nemani Bainivalu's Official Apology in native Fijian (below):

Meanwhile, "The Soko Trial" hears from Special Police Constable: 'I heard Soko screaming in pain'; the SPC said he saw two officers grind chillies into a Coca-Cola bottle and using hand gloves they rubbed the crushed spices onto the two victims private parts; he said his second statement to police given a few days later was a lie.

From Fijileaks Archives:

State counsel Lee Burney with Vilikesa Soko's dad Jeremiah Soko at the High Court in Lautoka

"The executive of the [Fiji Muslim] League cannot and does not represent the political opinion, views, philosophies of individuals or the bulk of Muslims in Fiji. These self appointed guardians do not speak for the masses...Most Muslims in Fiji know that certain officials treat the League and its branches as their own little fiefdoms. Fiefdoms, where nepotism is known to be rampant at most times; where certain families and individuals have reigned as executives literally for decades; where children and families of well-to-do officials benefit from scholarships which were and are meant for poor students; where chairs of numerous committees are held by single individuals; where businessmen and business interests are over represented..."
Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum,
University of Hong Kong, August 2000

Sr Nur Jehan Dean Life Member of Fiji Muslim League receiving Commemoration Plaque on 90th Anniversary Celebrations of the Fiji Muslim League which was presented on 11th Oct 2016.

From Fijileaks Archive, 28 April 2016:

"Most Muslims in Fiji know that certain officials treat the League and its branches as their own little fiefdoms. Fiefdoms, where nepotism is known to be rampant at most times; where certain families and individuals have reigned as executives literally for decades; where children and families of well-to-do officials benefit from scholarships which were and are meant for poor students; where chairs of numerous committees are held by single individuals; where businessmen and business interests are over represented; where women, the youth, various provinces and other denominations are either underrepresented or not represented at all; where appeals to religious dogma and unity are utilized in response to queries of administrative/financial discrepancies and where certain individuals view the League merely as a means to acquire access to power, influence and ultimately money - all under the guise of protecting Muslim interests...The executive of the League cannot and does not represent the political opinion, views, philosophies of individuals or the bulk of Muslims in Fiji. These self appointed guardians do not speak for the masses."

Letter: Critique of FML decision to make submission to Constitution Commission

by A S Khaiyum

The claim by some executive members of the Fiji Muslim League ('League') that Muslims support a review of our [1997] Constitution [of Fiji] and demand separate seats merely because the executive says so is a gross misrepresentation of the views of the everyday and majority of Muslims in our country.

The executive lack the mandate to speak as a representative body for Muslims since the League has been and is essentially an administrative institution managing and maintaining mosques, schools, orphanages, a sugar cane farm and real estate.

In addition to the lack of mandate the arguments and justifications espoused by the executive for a review and separate seats are flawed. They are flawed because our [1997] Constitution [of Fiji], in particular the Bill of Rights, namely, sections 38(2) and 35 more than adequately guarantee and protect religious freedom and minority rights. Indeed if an almost identical South African Bill of Rights provision protects the rights of the minority South African Muslims then what is so special about and differentiates Muslims in Fiji?

On the basis that last century the then nascent League made submissions on separate seats, it is argued today that so called Muslim rights will be achieved if these seats as submitted then are allocated now. To refer to a resolution passed some seventy years ago, in an era with its own specificities and dynamics, as justification for separate seats in today's Fiji illustrates a complete ignorance and denial of our political, social and constitutional history/experience as a nation-state.

Indeed if we were to hark back and uphold the standards of 1929 then commoner indigenous Fijians and women would not have the right to vote. Fiji and the rest of the world have moved along. Clearly such absurd referrals to the past illustrate an enormous vacuum in basic critical thinking and analysis, discourse and a general prevalence of obscurantism within the executive.

Furthermore, it aptly demonstrates a complete ignorance of contemporary developments in and interpretations of Islamic law and jurisprudence vis-a-vis constitutional, human rights and international law and conventions. More tragically, however, the opportunism of the executive displays the absence of and lack of belief in justice, compassion, selflessness and basic human decency.

Most Muslims in Fiji know that certain officials treat the League and its branches as their own little fiefdoms. Fiefdoms, where nepotism is known to be rampant at most times; where certain families and individuals have reigned as executives literally for decades; where children and families of well-to-do officials benefit from scholarships which were and are meant for poor students; where chairs of numerous committees are held by single individuals; where businessmen and business interests are over represented; where women,the youth, various provinces and other denominations are either underrepresented or not represented at all; where appeals to religious dogma and unity are utilized in response to queries of administrative/financial discrepancies and where certain individuals view the League merely as a means to acquire access to power, influence and ultimately money - all under the guise of "protecting Muslim interests."

Indeed the absence of proper representation, transparency, accountability and ultimately legitimacy also plague other local institutions in contemporary Fiji.

The executive of the League cannot and does not represent the political opinion, views, philosophies of individuals or the bulk of Muslims in Fiji. These self appointed guardians do not speak for the masses.

Therefore, the current administration and all Fiji Islanders must understand and recognize the majority of Muslims who believe in basic human decency, justice, democracy and constitutionalism reject the idea of separate seats and/or a review of our [1997] Constitution [of Fiji].

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
[email protected]

Fijileaks: Our founding Editor-in-Chief Victor Lal is completing at Oxford a book length study titled ‘The British Crown and the Crescent-Encounter and Accommodation of Islam in the Colonies’, which includes the history of Indo-Fijian Muslims in Fiji, and the Fiji Muslim League. The study is examining the formation and politics of the All India Muslim League in British India and its impact on Muslims in the British colonies. Victor Lal is focusing on the formation of 'Muslim Leagues' in Fiji, Sri Lanka, Guyana, Trinidad, Malaysia, Singapore, and Kenya. He is also expanding and converting his lecture, ‘Religion, Violence, ISIS and Gandhi’s Encounter with Islam and Caliphate’, which he delivered at the Centre for Peace Studies, University of Tromsø, Norway, in October 2015, into a monograph. A copy of the lecture can be obtained from Victor Lal via e-mail: [email protected]

FICAC lawyer Rashmi Aslam argues Chand had no authority to approve the payment for former Education Minister Filipe Bole’s treatment. He says as per the requirement of the scheme, the member has to pay $100 annually to benefit from the scheme, has to be below the age of 60 and the limit for the benefit is below $200,000. Aslam told the court that Bole made the payment of $100 in 2014 and not in 2012 when his payment was approved. He says Bole was above the age of 60 and the payment was more than $200,000. Aslam challenged the defence lawyer to tell them if there was $750,000 deposited in the staff welfare scheme and making payment of $213,905.05 is in the good faith. Source: Fijivillage News

1 April 2015:

Defence lawyer Devanesh Sharma told the Fiji High Court in his submission that the Fiji National University and Chand had signed on a deed and FNU had given him a clean slate when his contract was terminated. Sharma says no one from FNU can come and give evidence in court as they are bound by the deed

"However, whilst the arrest and detention was legally justified under the Act, I have concerns that it took the Police five days after the meeting
to act when they must have been aware that the Divisional Police Commander had not granted the permit. It would also appear that the Police were selective in who they arrested, given that a large number of people had taken part in the public meeting.” - DPP Pryde

* Insufficient evidence to sustain a charge for a breach of the Public Order Act in so far as there was no intention on the part of these persons to attend the meeting in breach of the Act;
* Neither the Public Order Act, nor its amendments, provide an offence for failing to apply for a permit.
* Insufficient evidence to charge anyone in relation to a possible charge of incitement contrary to section 48 of the Crimes Decree.
* Have concerns that it took the Police five days after the meeting to act when they must have been aware that the Divisional Police Commander had not granted the permit.
* Also appear that the Police were selective in who they arrested, given that a large number of people had taken part in the public meeting. - DPP

From Fijileaks Archives:
http://www.fijileaks.com/home/the-soko-death-file-fijileaks-stand-vindicated-eight-police-officers-and-one-military-officer-charged-with-manslaughter-assault-occasioning-bodliy-harm-and-alternative-count-of-rape-of-suspect-vilikesa-soko
http://www.fijileaks.com/home/cloak-and-dagger-over-soko-death-now-qiliho-claims-the-police-officers-have-been-suspended-with-full-pay-yes-after-fijileaks-exposed-and-highlighted-the-double-standard-surrounding-the-soko-death-case
http://www.fijileaks.com/home/police-baton-and-robbery-suspect-vilikesa-sokos-death-rear-admiral-bainimaramas-police-caused-sokos-death-by-shoving-their-police-bation-up-the-deceaseds-rear-causing-massive-internal-bleeding
http://www.fijileaks.com/home/brutal-proof-here-is-the-evidence-of-rear-admiral-voreqe-bainimarama-and-his-lawmaker-khaiyums-police-brutality-yes-robbery-suspect-soko-as-revealed-by-fijileaks-was-abused-and-killed-by-regime-police-thugs