Fiji to open an embassy in Jerusalem

As reported by Israfan, February 20, 2025:

The South Pacific nation of Fiji is set to open an embassy in Jerusalem later this year, Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka announced on Wednesday. The decision, approved by Fiji’s Cabinet on Tuesday, marks a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties with Israel.

“We are absolutely excited about coming to Jerusalem, and we most definitely will be there this year,” Gavoka told JNS in a phone interview. The embassy inauguration, originally planned for last year, was delayed due to the war against Hamas in Gaza.

Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka reaffirmed the decision during a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Sa’ar welcomed the move, tweeting: “I commend the Republic of Fiji’s government for its historic decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people.”

With Fiji’s decision, the list of countries with embassies in Jerusalem will grow to seven, joining the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Paraguay, and Papua New Guinea. Most other countries with diplomatic ties to Israel maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv or its surrounding areas.

The momentum to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital received a major boost in 2018 when then-U.S. President Donald Trump moved the American embassy to the city. Since then, several nations have followed suit, with more expected to announce similar decisions soon.

Fiji’s move not only underscores its support for Israel but also contributes to the growing international acknowledgment of Jerusalem as the heart of the Jewish state.

Muslims and Indians in Manitoba team up against white people

A pattern has emerged in recent years of groups of non-white people who otherwise have nothing in common with one another coming together to oppose white people for the heinous crime of being white. One such example is the National Immigration Table, which may be the subject of another blog post, if I can ever get around to it. Another example is the one below, as reported by John Longhurst in the Winnipeg Free Press, January 20, 2025:

At first glance, Muslims and Indigenous people in Manitoba might not have much in common.

However, the two groups have experienced racism and the effects of colonialism, including efforts to convert them to Christianity.

“We are all living with the history and trauma of colonization,” Shahina Siddiqui, executive director of the Islamic Social Services Association, said. “We have much in common from that experience.”

The association will hold the first national Muslim-Indigenous Solidarity Conference, which is happening at the Hilton Suites Airport Hotel on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26.

Siddiqui said the goal is to “strengthen the bonds between the Muslim and Indigenous communities through learning, sharing and healing circles.”

Indigenous elders, Muslim imams, community leaders, academics and activists are scheduled to make presentations.

Topics to be discussed include the legacy of colonialism for Indigenous people and Muslims in North America; the role of colonialism in gender-based violence; the role of the church in assimilation, education and Christianization of Indigenous people in Canada and Muslims around the world; the spiritual commitment of Indigenous people and Muslims to peace, justice and human rights; and the role of spirituality in healing for members of both groups.

In addition, there will be space for smudging and to speak to counsellors.

“The legacy of colonialism is still with us today in the form of racism and dehumanization,” Siddiqui said, noting many countries in the developing world that are home to Muslims — Egypt, Syria, Sudan, India, Jordan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Indonesia — were colonized by European powers such as Britain, France and the Netherlands from the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century.

“This is an opportunity for members of both communities to hear from each other how they are addressing the colonial legacy and racism, so we can share and learn together and build resilience,” she said.

The "efforts to convert them to Christianity" have had a fair amount of success when it comes to Native people in Canada, since most still identify as Christians of one kind or another. The statement by Ms. Siddiqui is more than a little disingenuous, given that Muslims make efforts to convert others to Islam, while trying to make their new homes into Muslim nations.

Ms. Siddiqui's comment about the spiritual commitment of Muslims to peace, justice and human rights is laughable. The Muslim idea of peace is a lack of opposition to Islam; justice means the imposition of Islamic law; and I dare anyone to name one Muslim nation that respects human rights. In the nations that she mentions, colonialism had the beneficial effect of suppressing the most unpleasant aspects of the native cultures, such as tribal conflict. When it comes to the "legacy of colonialism," the main legacy is everything that these peoples have that can be regarded as mmodern, especially technology.