This story was edited and published for some reason under the title "A World of Dialogue" in the Fiji Times "Off the Wall with Padre James Bhagwan" on Wednesday 28th March 2012 http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=197088 it is presented here in its full form.
As our country’s attention shifts to the
upcoming constitutional process (albeit with a brief distraction of the Hong
Kong 7’s), most of the commentary and responses to the announcement of this
process have focussed on the political and electoral aspects of the future
constitution. Of course that is because everyone is looking (even sceptically)
towards the 2014 elections.
Important points regarding the future
role of the military, social and economic rights, the method of the proposed
consultations and pre-election education process for young people are already
being raised for consideration in the planned constitutional process. The way
human rights are enshrined in the new constitution is also a very important
issue.
In this column two weeks ago, I shared
an extract from former US President, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech on the Four
Freedoms. The second of the Four was the “freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world.” This freedom was incorporated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Article 18: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
This freedom was guaranteed in the 1997
Constitution’s Bill of Rights (Chapter 4 Section 35(Religion and Belief).
Perhaps the time is right for us as a
people to think deeply about the importance of religious tolerance in our
country and how we can ensure that this issue that has been and maintains the
potential for massive divisions in Fiji can be properly addressed in the
process to develop a new constitution.
There have been many examples at the
grass-roots level as well on a national level of positive influence by
religious groups and institutions – social justice programmes, awareness campaigns,
civic education – the promotion of high morals and compassionate behaviour and
the like.
These good deeds, however, have been
overshadowed by negative actions over the last three decades – political
interference, religious intolerance, systematic attempts to impose one religion
on others.
Intolerance and conflict is not limited
to differences of religion (inter-religious) but also to issues such as
doctrine, rituals, power and finance, within religions (intra-religious).
Sadly, this is most obvious among the
wide Christian community – the largest religious grouping in the country.
Differences of doctrine, methods of evangelism, proselytism of members of other
Christian denominations (sheep-stealing), clashes in personality, power
struggles and perceived or real political agendas have led to a fragmentation
of the “Body of Christ” in Fiji. Evidence for this can be seen in the formation
of organisations like the Assembly of Christian Churches in Fiji, the lapse of
the Fiji Council of Churches and the emergence of break-away churches.
Recently, a friend of mine involved in
disaster management in the aftermath of the flooding we experienced, lamented
the inactivity of the Fiji Council of Churches, which had been a transparent
and efficient partner with DISMAC during times of natural disasters,
particularly in terms of coordinating churches for information and distribution
of relief aid.
Add to this intra-religious turmoil, a
lack of appreciation or tolerance of other religions and you have fertile soil
for prejudice and religious bigotry – insults (such as calling someone an
“idol-worshipper”) or even worse the desecration of religious of worship, and
religious violence.
The fact that religion, for the most
part in Fiji, is also connected to ethnicity and culture can lead to religious
tension affecting ethnic relations, and vice-versa. The majority of the i-Taukei
are Christians, while most Indo-Fijians, as Hindu or Muslim, belong to other
world religions. Of course such tensions make things very difficult for the
minority of Indo-Fijians that are Christians and those i-Taukei that belong to
other religious communities or small new religious movements. The same can be
said for the other ethnic groups in Fiji. One only has to look to the island of
Rotuma where small wars took place between Catholics and Methodists in the 19th
century; as well as the murder of Rev. Thomas Baker, because of perceptions
about Christianity and political domination of Bau.
Living in Asia, where Christianity is
just one of many world religions (in fact a minority and sometimes oppressed
religion) has reinforced my view that tolerance and understanding in a
pluralistic country such as Fiji is crucial to the “peace and prosperity” for
which this nation searches.
The strange thing is that many of us
have relatives and friends who either belong to a different denomination or
religious community.
I may be an anomaly as a Methodist
minister, with a Roman Catholic wife, Anglican children (including a
Goddaughter and Godson) and relatives who are not only Assemblies of God,
Pentecostal, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, but also
Sanatani, Arya Samaj, Sai devotees, members of the Fiji Muslim League, Baha’i
and agnostic. However, pluralism within the family or extended family is
becoming an accepted norm, no matter how hard conservatives fight against it.
Why then is religious tolerance accepted
within the family or the community, but not outside it?
For a number of years, a small group of
people dedicated religious tolerance and understanding have met on a monthly
basis to share what the scriptures of their faith have to say on a particular
topic or issue – from the subject of integrity to the issue of HIV and AIDS.
The group, Interfaith Search Fiji, is not about syncretism or the mixing of
religions, but about creating understanding and appreciation through dialogue.
Unfortunately this small but successful
model has not yet been accepted or endorsed by the main religious groups and
has on occasion been criticised by fringe groups.
This however does not have to be the end
of the story.
Is it not possible that religious
tolerance is not only covered by the Bill of Rights, but also be enshrined in
our new constitution, through a mechanism through which dialogue within and
between religions take place? A mechanism such as a National Council for
Religious Tolerance and Cooperation or a Fiji Assembly of Interreligious
Tolerance and Harmony (FAITH) could not just provide a safe space for dialogue
but also provide the platform for cooperation on social, health and other
issues as well as assist in the mobilisation of communities in times of natural
disaster.
The seeds of religious tolerance have
been planted through the recognition of significant holy days such as
Christmas, Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday, Lent, Holi, Easter (both Good Friday
and Easter “Resurrection” Sunday), Ramadan, Eid, Diwali, etc by convention as
well as by legislation.
As we begin the process of growing a new
constitution (even if the seed is the People’s Charter), each one of us is
called to nurture this plant until it is a tree from which we all can eat.
“Simplicity, Serenity, Spontaneity”
ENDS
