Captain Cikaitoga addresses ceremony for Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday
Fiji is a multi-faith nation with a Constitution that guarantees religious freedom and establishes a secular state in which all religions are equal. This was highlighted by Captain Samuela Cikaitoga, the Officer Commanding Golf Company Sukanaivalu Barracks, Labasa. He was officiating at Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday celebrations at Valebasoga Jame Mosque yesterday.
“We do it as a personal gesture of respect for our fellow citizens of other faiths, knowing that whatever beliefs we hold, we are one people, one nation and have a common destiny,” Captain Cikaitoga said.
He said that religion was a unifying force. “It is a bridge between us no matter what we believe,” he said.
“We can find common ground with each other precisely by understanding and respecting that principle, because the wonderful thing is that the teachings of many our religions are interconnected. “They embody many of the same values— of consideration for others, especially the less fortunate, of honesty and integrity and the way we live our lives and the duty and service to each other, nation and the higher being we worship.”
He said that Prophet Muhammad’s teaching was the core of Islam.
“It guides their faith and defines the way they live their lives—lives of obedience to the word of God laid out in the sacred Book if Islam, The Holy Quran,” he said. “The Prophet Muhammad urges us to look after our neighbours, to be generous, to look after our guests and to give our children a good education.
“In Islam, everyone is equal, whatever their ethnicity, language or nationality. No one has more privileges, no one a higher status based on birth or wealth.”
He also reflected on the life of Prophet Muhammad and the difficulties he had faced.
Captain Cikaitoga also paid tribute to the Muslim communities in Labasa for the growth and development of the nation. “I also thank Fiji Muslim League for allowing educational opportunities by providing colleges and primary schools that operate in the North,” he said.