MAGNET FOR THIEVES: We urge religious organizations, especially HINDUS, to always remove monies and jewellery kept inside the temples
* Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Khaiyum met with Fijians in Baulevu, in Nausori following an attempted break-in at the Nav Durga Temple last Thursday where a Ramayan was set on fire.
* Aiyaz Khaiyum reassured residents living in the area and provided them with new holy books.
* In 1987, shortly after Rabuka's first coup, a group of Methodist nationalists torched the Sikh Temple in Nadi, and set fire to the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, inflaming anger throughout the Sikh world. It was the first time after many centuries that the Sikhs holy book was desecrated.
* What is less publicized is that many non-Methodist i-taukei churches were also vandalized for Rabuka had declared Methodism state religion, and had introduced the obnoxious Sunday Observance Decree. He is still hiding from justice, cloaked in IMMUNITY he granted to himself in 1988
OFFERING his political soul to the Religious Devil in Disguise in desperate bid to become Coupist's Deputy Prime Minister, or Finance Minister
"Those who do not choose to become Christians can continue to live here, but they will probably find that it is a difficult place to live in. Efforts will be made to convert the Indians. All we are trying to do is the same thing that the missionaries did here in Fiji when we were cannibals and heathens. I want the Indians to stay here. It will be a big challenge for us to convert them to Christianity. We either go that way, or they convert us, and we all become heathens." Sitiveni Rabuka, No Other Way
Religious Intolerance Manifestation of Racism, 1987-1999
Sidebar: Fiji: A Chronology of Attacks Against Hindus and Hindu Places of Worship, 1987 to 2022
May, 1987: Sitiveni Rabuka-also a Methodist lay preacher-leads a military coup to depose the Bavadra government. The country's 1970 constitution is revised in 1990 to guarantee Fijian dominance in the government.
October 29, 1987: Military government institutes "Sunday Observance Decree" which prohibits public gatherings, sporting events, profitable trade and the operation of buses, taxis, hotels, restaurants or cinemas on the Christian holy day. The law is applied to all citizens, regardless of religion.
April, 1988: Sitiveni Rabuka's biography, Rabuka-No Other Way, says the nation's Hindus should be converted to Christianity. "Those who do not choose to become Christians can continue to live here, but they will probably find that it is a difficult place to live in. Efforts will be made to convert the Indians. All we are trying to do is the same thing that the missionaries did here in Fiji when we were cannibals and heathens. I want the Indians to stay here. It will be a big challenge for us to convert them to Christianity. We either go that way, or they convert us, and we all become heathens."
June 24, 1988: Twelve tons of Soviet-made small arms and ammunition intercepted in Australia enroute to Fiji. A number of Fijian Indians are arrested in connection with this.
October 15, 1989: Two Hindu temples, a Sikh Gurudwara and a Muslim mosque burned by 18 members of the Methodist Youth Fellowship in Lautoka-ten men and eight women. The youth had attended an all-night prayer session at the Coronation Church in Lautoka before setting out in separate groups for the attack. They had decided that the word of God in the Bible required them to destroy all idols and make Fiji a Christian country.
October 21, 1989: Group wielding Bibles stand outside 100-year-old Shri Subramaniya Swami temple in Nandi and curse temple's priest. Two temples in Nandi are looted and damaged this same day. Temple murthis are stolen.
October 27, 1989: Citizens stop an arson attempt by Christians at the Taveuni temple.
January 15, 1990: Forty-year-old copy of Ramayana, Hindu sacred scripture, is stolen from the Hindu temple in Nasinu and burned.
September 20, 1991: Vatuwaga temple is broken into and the image of God damaged. The idol at the temple in Raiwaga is destroyed and the temple desecrated.
September 21, 1991: Munswamy Chetty, 77, priest at Shri Siva Subramaniya Swami temple in Nandi, is beaten by a Christian Fijian while doing the temple worship. The man accused Mr. Chetty of idol worship and said it was not allowed in Fiji. He demanded Chetty start going to church and pray to Christ.
October 1, 1991: Vandalism at Hindu temples in Nandi and Suva.
May 9, 1993: Bharatiya School at Vuo destroyed by arson during dispute between Christians attending the school and its Hindu board.
June 20, 1994: Vijay Raj, a Christian, burns historic Shri Jai Maha Shakti temple at Nasoso. Raj told the court that he was a Christian and said that he set fire to the temple because he wanted to see whether the God was real or not. He told the court that if the God was real, then He would have been able to extinguish the fire and save the temple from being burnt.
The temple was started in a small way by Butru Sirdar almost 80 years ago at Nasoso, and over the years the Devi temple became a prominent Hindu shrine, attracting devotees from all parts of the country. The fire, which gutted the brick and tin building, caused more than $80,000 loss.
As the temple was burning, the man was heard yelling "Hallelujah, hallelujah. I did the right thing. God told me to do this."
Vijay Raj, then 26 years old, was once a devotee of the temple who used to contribute hours of volunteer work including sign writing and painting the temple, according to the shrine's officials. About three years ago Raj had joined a Christian church. Since then he has been working against the temple, which ironically was started by his great grandfather.
It is now 2022, and we still hear the burning and looting of Hindu temples, started by Rabuka's 1987 coups.
May, 1987: Sitiveni Rabuka-also a Methodist lay preacher-leads a military coup to depose the Bavadra government. The country's 1970 constitution is revised in 1990 to guarantee Fijian dominance in the government.
October 29, 1987: Military government institutes "Sunday Observance Decree" which prohibits public gatherings, sporting events, profitable trade and the operation of buses, taxis, hotels, restaurants or cinemas on the Christian holy day. The law is applied to all citizens, regardless of religion.
April, 1988: Sitiveni Rabuka's biography, Rabuka-No Other Way, says the nation's Hindus should be converted to Christianity. "Those who do not choose to become Christians can continue to live here, but they will probably find that it is a difficult place to live in. Efforts will be made to convert the Indians. All we are trying to do is the same thing that the missionaries did here in Fiji when we were cannibals and heathens. I want the Indians to stay here. It will be a big challenge for us to convert them to Christianity. We either go that way, or they convert us, and we all become heathens."
June 24, 1988: Twelve tons of Soviet-made small arms and ammunition intercepted in Australia enroute to Fiji. A number of Fijian Indians are arrested in connection with this.
October 15, 1989: Two Hindu temples, a Sikh Gurudwara and a Muslim mosque burned by 18 members of the Methodist Youth Fellowship in Lautoka-ten men and eight women. The youth had attended an all-night prayer session at the Coronation Church in Lautoka before setting out in separate groups for the attack. They had decided that the word of God in the Bible required them to destroy all idols and make Fiji a Christian country.
October 21, 1989: Group wielding Bibles stand outside 100-year-old Shri Subramaniya Swami temple in Nandi and curse temple's priest. Two temples in Nandi are looted and damaged this same day. Temple murthis are stolen.
October 27, 1989: Citizens stop an arson attempt by Christians at the Taveuni temple.
January 15, 1990: Forty-year-old copy of Ramayana, Hindu sacred scripture, is stolen from the Hindu temple in Nasinu and burned.
September 20, 1991: Vatuwaga temple is broken into and the image of God damaged. The idol at the temple in Raiwaga is destroyed and the temple desecrated.
September 21, 1991: Munswamy Chetty, 77, priest at Shri Siva Subramaniya Swami temple in Nandi, is beaten by a Christian Fijian while doing the temple worship. The man accused Mr. Chetty of idol worship and said it was not allowed in Fiji. He demanded Chetty start going to church and pray to Christ.
October 1, 1991: Vandalism at Hindu temples in Nandi and Suva.
May 9, 1993: Bharatiya School at Vuo destroyed by arson during dispute between Christians attending the school and its Hindu board.
June 20, 1994: Vijay Raj, a Christian, burns historic Shri Jai Maha Shakti temple at Nasoso. Raj told the court that he was a Christian and said that he set fire to the temple because he wanted to see whether the God was real or not. He told the court that if the God was real, then He would have been able to extinguish the fire and save the temple from being burnt.
The temple was started in a small way by Butru Sirdar almost 80 years ago at Nasoso, and over the years the Devi temple became a prominent Hindu shrine, attracting devotees from all parts of the country. The fire, which gutted the brick and tin building, caused more than $80,000 loss.
As the temple was burning, the man was heard yelling "Hallelujah, hallelujah. I did the right thing. God told me to do this."
Vijay Raj, then 26 years old, was once a devotee of the temple who used to contribute hours of volunteer work including sign writing and painting the temple, according to the shrine's officials. About three years ago Raj had joined a Christian church. Since then he has been working against the temple, which ironically was started by his great grandfather.
It is now 2022, and we still hear the burning and looting of Hindu temples, started by Rabuka's 1987 coups.
The Leader of Unity Fiji and former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji appealed to those desecrating holy places of worship to stop.
He stressed that the freedom of religion was sacrosanct in our Constitution. We must respect and uphold it. It was a fundamental freedom that was dear to all our people. Mr. Narube went on to say “Instead of casting stones, we must build tolerance. I always believe that our multiracialism, multiculturalism and pluralism are strengths, not weaknesses. They define what Fiji was, what Fiji is now, and what we will be in future.”
“I urge national and community leaders not to turn these crimes into political issues. Let the law take its course. I therefore ask the Police to bring these criminals to justice as soon as possible,” said the former Governor.
“Instead of pointing fingers, we need to build understanding of our differences. Through this understanding will come tolerance; through tolerance will come unity; through unity will come peace; and with wise counsel, prosperity for all, added the Leader of Unity Fiji. Mr. Narube concluded, “The first month of the New Year has yet to pass. We have many challenges to overcome. Let us turn this New Year into one of building greater tolerance and understanding of our different religions and cultures.”
He stressed that the freedom of religion was sacrosanct in our Constitution. We must respect and uphold it. It was a fundamental freedom that was dear to all our people. Mr. Narube went on to say “Instead of casting stones, we must build tolerance. I always believe that our multiracialism, multiculturalism and pluralism are strengths, not weaknesses. They define what Fiji was, what Fiji is now, and what we will be in future.”
“I urge national and community leaders not to turn these crimes into political issues. Let the law take its course. I therefore ask the Police to bring these criminals to justice as soon as possible,” said the former Governor.
“Instead of pointing fingers, we need to build understanding of our differences. Through this understanding will come tolerance; through tolerance will come unity; through unity will come peace; and with wise counsel, prosperity for all, added the Leader of Unity Fiji. Mr. Narube concluded, “The first month of the New Year has yet to pass. We have many challenges to overcome. Let us turn this New Year into one of building greater tolerance and understanding of our different religions and cultures.”
FIRE SECOND TIME: As Khaiyum pointed out, the same Baulevu temple was targetted in 1987. It was also in Baulevu that the COUPIST THUG and his military goons were arresting, detaining, and beating up people there, on the pretext that they were looking for the weapons shipped into Fiji. Those of us who risked all, must NEVER allow NFP leader BIMAN PRASAD to succeed in installing Rabuka as Prime Minister, so he can achieve NFP's dream for an Indo-Fijian to become Rabuka's DPM. Recall their despicable declaration, 'Fiji Is Not Ready for an Indo-Fijian PM'. Fiji was ready but it was Rabuka and Speight who denied that crowning glory
Fiji Sun, 1 August 1987
