Fiji Muslim League

The Fiji Muslim League is a Muslim religious and social organisation based in Suva, Fiji. Nearly 7% of Fiji's total population, including 16% of the Indian community, is Muslim. The Fiji Muslim League also pursues actively the conversion of indigenous Fijians from Christianity to Islam and has attracted several hundred converts in this initiative.

Establishment of Fiji Muslim League

By 1908 there were about 4000 Muslims in Fiji, a third of them still indentured. In 1915 the "Anjuman Hidayat-e-Islam" was established in Nausori and in 1916 the "Anjuman Ishait El Islam" was established in Lautoka. Around Suva there were only about 70 Muslims, without a school or a mosque. But as the number of Muslims in the capital city steadily grew, "Anjuman-e-Islam" was formed in 1919. The Fiji Muslim League was formed on 31 October 1926, at a meeting at the Jame Masjid in Toorak.

Role of Fiji Muslim League in education and welfare

The Fiji Muslim League has made valuable contribution in the field of education in Fiji. The first school, Islamic Girls School, was already in existence in 1926 and is today known as Suva Muslim Primary School. Today, the Fiji Muslim League owns and manages seventeen primary and five secondary schools plus a tertiary institution (Islamic Institute of the South Pacific). The Fiji Muslim League accepts as students and staff members of all ethnic groups domiciled in Fiji. In 2000 its student population was: 4464 in secondary and 5243 in primary schools. In the secondary schools 3015 were Muslims, 994 Fijians/Christians, and 455 others, including Hindus.

The Fiji Muslim League provides help for tertiary studies for needy Muslims through loans from its Education Trust and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). Of the two IDB loan/awards for tertiary studies one is given locally for information technology and the other for the study of medicine in Pakistan. Most of the latter in recent times have been allocated for training Muslim female doctors; some have qualified and are working in Fiji.

Besides education, the Fiji Muslim League from its outset has attempted to assist in satisfying all the social needs of Muslims. Currently its involvement in social welfare is both at national and branch levels. In times of natural disasters or turmoil the Fiji Muslim League directly helps Muslims whose homes and lives are disrupted. Its charity keeps many families clothed, fed and housed, and Muslim children sent to school.

Muslims and politics

Since 1929 the Fiji Muslim League has sought to obtain separate representation for Muslims, in the Legislative Council till 1970, and in Parliament (both the House of Representatives and the Senate) since 1970. Except for the period between 1932 and 1937, Muslims have been represented well in Fiji’s Parliament. From 1937 to 1963, there was always one Muslim nominated into the Legislative Council out of a total of five Fiji Indian representatives. The Muslim Political Front was formed to advance Muslim political rights and in 1966 it joined the newly formed Alliance Party, but voting trends have shown that most Muslims have tended to vote for the Party representing Fiji Indians, showing that their political aspirations are not different from the other 84% of the Fiji Indians.

As of January 2007, the President of the Fiji Muslim League is a prominent businessman, Hafiz Khan. Appointed to the Senate on 13 July 2005 to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Dr Ahmed Ali, Khan became one of the nine out of 32 Senators nominated by the Prime Minister of Fiji (a further 14 are chosen by the [Great Council of Chiefs] , eight by the Leader of the Opposition, and one by the Council of Rotuma). Khan was formally sworn in on 22 August 2005. In June 2006, he became Vice-President of the Senate and served in this capacity until the military coup of 5 December 2006.

See also

* Muslim
* Islam in Fiji
* Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji