HE PRESIDENT RATU WILIAME KATONIVERE'S ADDRESS AT THE CELEBRATION OF PROPHET MOHAMMED'S BIRTHDAY

•The National Executives of the Fiji Muslim League;
Your Excellencies the Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
•Government Officials;
•Members of Fiji’s Business Community;
•The Heads and Representatives of Religious Organizations present here today;
•Representatives of the Media;
•Officials and Members of the Fiji Muslim League and its branches;
•Invited Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Assalaamo Alaikum, (Peace be upon you all), Good morning and Miau sa bula re.

It is indeed an honour for me to be with you all on this very special day to observe and celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him).

I extend to you all my personal best wishes as well as those of the Government and the people of Fiji as we convene to commemorate the national milad-un-nabi celebrations for 2023. This morning I beg your indulgence as I shall not delve on the history of Islam as I am quite certain that you are already very well versed with that aspect.

However, I would like to acknowledge and pay my respects to the great and vast efforts of the Fiji Muslim League being a religious, educational and charitable national organization of the Muslims of Fiji. It has contributed immensely to the field of education and social welfare and its members have actively participated and contributed towards Fiji’s development from a spiritual and most importantly from a social-economic perspective.

Having been established in 1926 to represent and cater for the needs and welfare of the Muslims of Fiji, the Fiji Muslim League has grown and boasts 26 Branches, 5 Colleges, 17 Primary Schools, 2 Hostels and numerous Mosques and religious centers all over the country as places of worship.

I acknowledge the hard work of the Fiji Muslim League leadership and all your members especially in coordinating your activities around the country for today and in developing a strong foundation for the promotion of Islam.

Prophet Muhammed (Peace upon him) was a religious teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, a brilliant administrator, a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband and a loving father, all in one. These are values and attributes that encompasses our religious beliefs that should be reflected in our everyday living. It should be reflected in our spiritual and personal development, in our relations with each other, with our families and to the members of the community that one lives in and especially in supporting the less fortunate. In upholding all these relationships, I have every confidence that the Fiji Muslim League of Fiji and its members can take great pride in having contributed meaningfully and significantly towards nation building.

Having said that, I strongly believe that religion remains a strong foundation that can empower and uplift the lives of our citizens to protect and enhance the interests and the aspirations of all of us; men, women, the youths, children the vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society.

Religion has always played a very important role in nation building and national development especially in our multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society. Religious tolerance has paved the way for unity in respect for each other, understanding each other, unity in love, dignity, humility, and humanity, as we all share the love and mercy of our creator.

We respect, appreciate, and celebrate the diversity and aspirations of our people based on our common vision and principles and our shared values. We are blessed as we can acknowledge and recognize the freedom of our various communities to follow and practice their beliefs. We will continue to strive to live righteously and peacefully with one another, equally understanding that goodwill alone is not sufficient to sustain peace, just governance and freedom.

Like the world we live in, our problems today are deep rooted and complex and to steer our nation forward to a better Fiji for all, promoting our mutual interests, we must come together, join hands and work together closely and sincerely to address all our problems for our common good. We can and should always try to solve our own problems and we should rely on a higher power, we should ask God the creator with reverence, and the source of our very being, to assist us to find the answer and solutions to our problems. This should be daily and not only when we face problems, for he has promised us and has better plans to guide us, prosper us and to protect us and to give us a future and hope.

Ladies and gentlemen, Prophet Mohammed ( Peace be upon him)was a man with a noble and exalted mission - and his unique mission was to unite humanity in the worship of the one and only God and to teach them the way to honest and upright living in accordance with the laws and commands of the Almighty. He was a leader who showed compassion for the poor, the weak and the underprivileged and when in authority ruled on the principle of equality and fair play. The virtues lived out by the holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) are those that we should always try to emulate.

I encourage you today to continue to partner with other religious organizations and with Government to strengthen social cohesion in our local communities and promote inter-racial and inter-religious harmony across Fiji.

We need to emphasize moral education and commitment to the family, the community, and the nation, to better promote mutual respect, tolerance, goodwill, compassion, care, peace and equal prosperity. We owe this to our children, grandchildren and to Fiji’s future generations.

I thank you for your invitation to observe the milad-un-nabi with you today, and my best wishes remain with you all.

May Almighty continue to bless Fiji and each of us!

Vinaka vakalevu and bahoot dhanyavaad.