League President Hafiz Khan. [File Photo]

The Fiji Muslim League is calling on convicted felon Ben Padarath to refute any comments on his posts on social media against the Muslim community.

League President, Hafiz Khan, says if Padarath’s initial post of the Head Boy of the Lautoka Muslim College being allowed to grow a beard is not racially or religiously slanted, Padarath should be discrediting any comments on his post that are against the Muslim community.

This after Padarath denied that his initial Facebook post about the Headboy had any racial or religious bigotry.

Khan says the Muslim League is taking legal action against Ben Padarath to ensure students are not vilified as such on social media.

“Yes we run schools for the benefit of children, and the children of this country are the most important assets that we have. And nobody, Ben Padarath or whoever, to play with their emotions and in particularly disrupt their lifestyle and to demean them and that’s what he has been doing.”

Khan is adamant that Padarath is not making any effort to discredit those who have started to speak against the Muslim community because of his post.

“If he says this is a misunderstanding, I have no religious or racial, she has twisted it. Ok. Then when all these racially slanted comments come to your post why you don’t say to them, don’t do that, that’s not what I meant why you can’t do that.”

Meanwhile, Ben Padarath maintains that his post was to seek clarification which was taken out of context.

“I asked for clarification from the Minister, that was the gist of my post, it had nothing to do with religion or racism as the Minister’s outburst against me. So I don’t know, I don’t understand where all this is coming from. But I will defend myself and I will stand by the contents of my original post.”

Attempts to get further comments from the Education Minister have been futile.

However, earlier Minister Rosy Akbar had said Padarath’s outburst is bigoted, insensitive, and an affront to the right of freedom of religion. She adds the Ministry’s policy allows schools to cater to students’ religious, and cultural practices.