Fiji Hindu group rejects Christian state calls

Updated Thu Sep 6, 2012 6:15pm AEST

Calls for Fiji to become an officially Christian state have been rejected by one of the country's main Hindu groups.

It comes after the president of Fiji's Methodist Church yesterday said the country was ceded to God by the chiefs and was therefore a Christian nation.

Vijendra Prakash, general secretary of Sanatan Dharam, told Radio Australia his members would prefer Fiji be a secular state where religion does not mix with politics.

"Because this country is multicultural religion and a multilingual country, and we have been living so happily," he said.

"All the religious organisations are given respect and rights and no one is given supremacy over another or try to undermine the others."

Mr Prakash said all citizens had a right to worship, regardless of their religion.

Fiji Methodist Church's new president, Tuikilakila Waqairatu, on Wednesday said he supported the idea of of Fiji becoming a Christian state.

"Fiji was given to God," he said.

"When we say that Fiji is a Christian state ... we say it was decided by our chiefs who ceded Fiji to Great Britain that Fiji be a Christian country.

"When it was given to God, it has already established its covenant relationship with God, and that covenant relationship is eternal - it cannot be withdrawn."