Adults need to set examples to children on values we all love to talk about, says Attorney-General and Minister for Education Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

He said it was not seen so readily in Fiji anymore.

“Some people think ‘I will only show kindness if the other person is from my ethnic group or if that person is of my religion or that person comes from the same province,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.

He said love, compassion and kindness did not have any limitations.

He was addressing students, parents and teachers during the Kulukulu Public School, Nadroga, prizegiving ceremony yesterday.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said it was time to put our differences aside and embrace each other.

“We are all human beings. We are all Fijians. We all live in this country. We were all born in this country,” he said.

He said if a person was taught to love all people that love should not stop because someone looked different.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said that for a small country like Fiji, we should live it not just talk about it.

“Because after all we are all God’s children and His love is not restricted,” he said.

He said God loved everyone equally and we should follow that.

“But that is fundamentally one of the problems we find in Fiji today,” he said.

“A lot of people’s sense of affection and compassion is limited by who the other person is,” he said.

He said if we could inculcate in our children to love everyone irrespective of our ethnic, religious and cultural differences, we would create a much better future.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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