Non Government Organisations are questioning the step taken by the Government in not allowing entry to Fiji of globally-renown cleric Reverend Sun Myung Moon.
Questions have been raised by many when the controversial South Korean Reverend Moon was yesterday not allowed to enter the country and threatened with deportation to Korea if he did.
Citizens Constitutional Forum Reverend Akuila Yabaki said although it was still not clear why Reverend Moon was not allowed into the country, the Government should look deeply at the situation.
“Here they (government) are not allowing this Asian religious group to enter the country to attend a conference while the Government is providing security to another preacher, Benny Hinn, when he arrives in the country,” he said.
“We are told that there is a lot of money used in Reverend Moon’s crusades but we are not aware how much time is spent on the peace factor of this.”
Reverend Yabaki said the Government was spending close to $90,000 in providing security for American preacher Benny Hinn when he arrives in the country for a crusade in January.
“Hinn has been invited by the Assembly of Christian Churches and we believe there is a lot of support for Hinn in the Government, which is making this possible,” he said.
“In Rev Moon’s case there is not much support is there from the Government side but rather the Opposition with Mahendra Chaudhry and others involved directly.”
Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase had earlier stated that the Assembly of Christian Churches in Fiji was organising world-renown American evangelist Pastor Hinn’s programme called the Benny Hinn Miracle Crusade.
The three-day crusade will be held in Suva from January 20.
“Pastor Benny Hinn will be accompanied by 20-member delegation and will arrive in Fiji on Sunday, January 15, and depart on Saturday, January 28,” a Cabinet statement said
“Government’s assistance will be in the form of airport facilitation on arrival and security arrangements throughout the visit.”
The statement said in taking this decision, Cabinet noted that the crusade would attract a large number of people from overseas, with the total number estimated to be around 300,000 people from around Fiji and the region.
Cabinet said it was also aware Pastor Benny Hinn had a wide international following and attracted a lot of media attention and public interest.
It said the crusade, therefore, had the potential to showcase Fiji^(1)s capacity to host large-scale international programmes.
“Fiji is also likely to benefit from the wide publicity for the event both through visitors attending the Crusade and the worldwide television coverage,” the Cabinet statement said.”