“The laws relating to boys shaving in school daily, shaving their facial hair daily because I have three sons in a Government school who are made to shave daily so my post was simply asking the Minister what is the Government’s policy." Ben Padarath to FBC News
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What is so exceptional about this lad who looks like he is over 25 years old? He only became head boy last week but evidently he has been growing his beard with impunity (religious exceptionalism) for some years. Why was he allowed to grow his beard but other Indo-Fijian Muslim parents have to fork out money for razer blades? Is he allowed to skip classes and pray five times a day? Is he planning to enter Imamhood? Rosy Akbar, by all accounts, is the most liberal Indo-Fijian Muslim but it looks like she went off the rails and turned Padarath's question into political football the moment snoopers trawling social media saw SODELPA MP Lynda Tabuya tagged to Padarath's Facebook account questioning the education policy regarding bearded students. And, the comatose Raj, suddenly woke up to join the fray, asking Padarath to "WAKE UP". Raj hoped that those politicians that Padarath has so approvingly tagged [Tabuya] in the shameful social media post can remind him of this changing reality even if they do not have the temerity to openly speak out against him because it may not be politically convenient. Surely, there are liberal Indo-Fijian Muslim parents who must be very worried if this Head Boy is also not pushing his version of Islam onto their children? We don't see a problem with this lad granted "religious exceptionalism" to grow his beard but we also expect Education Minister Rosy Akbar to clarify what is their policy on BEARDED STUDENTS coming to school. The new PS Anjeela Jokhan was the chief guest at the installation ceremony of this lad as head boy. Padarath's only crime, if there is one, was to ask the legitimate question on his personal FACEBOOK account. He has now counter reported Rosy Akbar to Police and has explained to FBC News:
“The laws relating to boys shaving in school daily, shaving their facial hair daily because I have three sons in a Government school who are made to shave daily so my post was simply asking the Minister what is the Government’s policy...The Minister needs to understand that she is a public figure paid by the taxpayers of Fiji as a Cabinet Minister, my mother was also a Cabinet Minister, they are open to questions from the public 24 hours a day.” |  |
Fijileaks: Ben Padarath needs no lecture from Akbar and Raj on race, ethnicity and religion in Fiji, for his late mother LAVENIA PADARATH spent 56 days as hostage in the parliamentary complex in 2000. She was deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry's Minister for Women, Culture, and Social Welfare. Along with many other parliamentarians, she was kidnapped by gunmen led by George Speight and his racist thugs
FijIleaks to Ashwin Raj: GO BACK TO SLEEP
