Following the desecration of the Sanatan Shiv Mandri in Samabula, the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission is urging the Fiji Police Force to thoroughly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to face the full brunt of the law.
While strongly condemning all acts of sacrilege targeting places of worship, regardless of faith, denomination, or religious belief Commission Director Loukinikini Lewaravu says such actions are not only morally reprehensible—they represent a grave violation of the right to freedom of religion and belief, and an assault on human dignity.
She says they are concerned by this alleged act of sacrilege, which constitutes not only a criminal offence under Section 305 of Crimes Act 2009 (Imprisonment of 14 years applies) but also a direct violation of the right to religious freedom.
Lewaravu says such an attack strikes at the heart of a community’s identity and spiritual life, and undermines the principles of dignity, respect, and religious tolerance that are enshrined in Fiji’s Constitution and international human rights law.
She says the right to manifest one’s religion in worship, observance, and practice is a fundamental human right protected under Section 22 of the Fijian Constitution, as well as under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Fiji is a State Party.
Director says the places of worship are sacred and must be protected as spaces of peace, reflection, and community.
She says any desecration of such spaces is an affront to our shared values of tolerance, respect, and multiculturalism, and poses a direct threat to social cohesion in Fiji.
Meanwhile, the suspect who allegedly entered and desecrated the temple has been referred for a psychiatric evaluation.
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