HIS EXCELLENCY RATU EPELI NAILATIKAU
CF, LVO, OBE (Mil), OStJ, CSM, MSD
President of the Republic of Fiji
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ADDRESS AT THE CELEBRATION OF THE PROPHET MOHAMMED’S BIRTHDAY
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Fazle Umar Mosque Monday, 13 January, 2014
Samabula, SUVA 10.30a.m.
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• The Amir and Missionary in Charge Maulana Fazal Ullah Tariq
• Your Excellencies the Ambassadors and High Commissioners
• 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
• The Master of Ceremony, Officials and Members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Fiji
• Invited Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

Assalam o alaikum, good morning, ni sa bula vinaka, namaste.

It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be with you all on this very special day to observe the birthday 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 in the trust that today and every day thereafter, will be blessed for those of you here and your respective family members as well as for those who are in other parts of Fiji who have gathered to observe the seeratun nabi.

I am particularly conscious of the fact that you are already very well versed with the history of Islam. Therefore, i will not delve on that aspect.

What I would like to do however is to acknowledge the great efforts of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Fiji especially in promoting Islam as a religion of peace.

I acknowledge the hard work of the leadership and all your members especially in coordinating your activities and developing a strong foundation for the promotion of Islam.
I am aware that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Fiji has over the years established several primary and secondary schools in Fiji. Your members have also established well-respected businesses – both large and small, private and public - that are making their fair share of contributing towards Fiji’s development from a spiritual perspective and also from a socio-economic perspective.

For indeed, a good measure of our religious belief should be reflected in our everyday living – in how one develops personally and spiritually, in how one relates to others within the family structure – with one’s spouse, children, and other family members - in how one relates to the members of the community that one lives in and especially in supporting the less fortunate; and also in how one contributes to the development of the nation as a whole.

In all of these relationships, I have every confidence that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Fiji and its members can take great pride in having contributed meaningfully and significantly towards Fiji’s overall development over the years.

The pathway for Fiji with respect to one’s religious belief and observance is clearly articulated in the 2013 Constitution.
The logic of declaring Fiji a secular state is, among other things, to provide everyone, without exception, the right to practice, uphold and promote one’s religion. It is also to protect all religions and to ensure that no one religion or sect within a religion has undue advantage over other religions or sects, or for that matter, for members of any religion or sects to be victimized because of their beliefs and practices.

When a nation talks about equal citizenry, it is important that it also makes provision within the supreme law of the land – the Constitution that is - for all citizens to be treated equally irrespective of one’s ethnic, cultural, or religious affiliation.
The Constitution of Fiji, for the first time since our independence over 43 years ago, now provides this protection and even proffers other rights that are aimed at enhancing and upholding equal citizenry.

These include the right to life, the right to health, and the right to education, among others.

The Constitution is also sensitive to gender, age and physical disposition, and therefore promotes the right to equal treatment irrespective of one’s gender, age or physical characteristics.
Fiji has made the bold step of charting a new path and a new beginning.

It has declared itself a secular state and has made provisions for the promotion and protection of a broader range of rights for all its citizens.

In fact, our socio-political history dictates that we start anew in order to lay a solid foundation for the future. It is now for the people of Fiji to work in harmony to realize the benefits of true democracy and equal citizenry because it is only through unity that we can succeed as a nation.

In joining you to observe the seeratun nabi today, I wish to take this opportunity to not only acknowledge the existence and growth of Islam as a religion of peace and prosperity in Fiji and to acknowledge the good work of your leaders and members.
But also to encourage you all to continue to working together towards a greater and more peaceful co-existence among yourselves and among the other Muslim sects in Fiji.

I also encourage you 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. We need to promote mutual respect, tolerance, goodwill, compassion, care, peace and equal prosperity.

We owe this to our children and to Fiji’s future generations.
I thank you for your invitation to observe the seeratun nabi with you today, and I look forward to further interactions with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Fiji.

Sukria, thank you, vinaka vakalevu, bahoot dhanyavaad.

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