THE Fiji Council of Churches stands united with Muslims in this time of sorrow.
In a statement, FCC general secretary the Rev Iliesa Naivalu expressed the council’s deepest sympathy to the Muslim community in Fiji and New Zealand, along with the families who lost their loved ones in the cowardly acts of violence that took the lives of 50 innocent people and caused injuries to others.
Mr Naivalu said the FCC always contended that no religious organisation or group deserved to be the target of hate.
Mr Naivalu said their members were devastated with the barbaric acts of violence that took place within the four walls of a place of worship where innocent men, women and children were gunned down while offering their prayers to mark a significant day of worship in the Muslim calendar.
“To all our Muslim brothers and sisters, be assured of our continuing prayers and that we stand in solidarity with you in this darkest period of your history,” the statement said.
“We strongly condemn the ideology that led to the merciless and horrific shooting that led to the death of innocent members of a religious community.”
The council stated that the perpetrator of the massacre may have thought he had won, yet FCC contends that he is a loser for the whole world has rallied their support towards the victims and they will remain steadfast against such an ideology.
“Mankind as a whole dies with the victims but rises again to face the same evil. Yes we fall together and we will rise together as one. And in our unity, one’s death is our death as the 16th century English poet John Donne wrote: ‘No man is an island entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind’.”
FCC is urging all Christians on the need to stand together to support our Muslim friends and most importantly to continue to talk and work together in order to better understand each other.
