Damaged deities at Samabula Shiv Mandir [Source: Hon Alvick Maharaj/ Facebook]

The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission condemns all acts of sacrilege targeting places of worship, regardless of faith, denomination, or religious belief.

Director Loukinikini Lewaravu stated that such actions are not only morally reprehensible but also represent a grave violation of the right to freedom of religion and belief, and an assault on human dignity.

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon when an individual entered the Samabula Shiv temple, in Suva, through a side entrance with an iron rod, damaging deities, some of which are nearly 100 years old.

Lewaravu expressed concern over this alleged act of sacrilege.

She highlighted that it constitutes not only a criminal offense under Section 305 of the Crimes Act 2009 (carrying a penalty of 14 years imprisonment) but also a direct violation of the right to religious freedom.

She added that such an attack strikes at the heart of a community’s identity and spiritual life, undermining the principles of dignity, respect, and religious tolerance enshrined in Fiji’s Constitution and international human rights law.

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.

Lewaravu affirmed that places of worship are sacred and must be protected as spaces of peace, reflection, and community.

He added that any desecration of such spaces is an affront to Fiji’s shared values of tolerance, respect, and multiculturalism, and poses a direct threat to social cohesion.

The Commission is urging the Police Force to thoroughly investigate this incident and bring the perpetrators to face the full brunt of the law.

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