That's the opinion of the Chairman of the National Council of Churches (N.C.C), Deacon Kasiano Leaupepe, in the wake of calls from Samoa Faafafine Association for the community to respect their rights.

Speaking during an interview with the Samoa Observer, Le'aupepe said fa'afafines are human beings created by God and they should be respected.

But he objected to a commonly held misconception that fa'afafines are part of the Samoan culture.

"Back in the days we hardly heard of this word fa'afafine because there were hardly any fa'afafines around in our days," he said.

Ombudsman - "Fa'afafines are an important part of Samoan culture."

At the same time Samoa's Ombudsman, in response complaints made to the office about the recent publication of controversial article in the Samoa Observer, says that "Fa'afafine are an important part of Samoan culture."

"They are traditionally known for their hard work and dedication to the family in carrying out the roles and responsibilities of both men and women."

"We should always consider our fa'asamoa by ensuring that we afford fa'afafine feavaa'i (mutual respect) and refer to them in a manner that is both culturally and gender sensitive."

The statement also refers to the article 1 of the Declaration on human rights; "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

The statement continues: "This concept mirrors the core fa'asamoa principle of feavaa'i."

"Like the human right to dignity, feavaa'i is demanded of all Samoans. It is something that should be afforded to all people, regardless of their gender, race or creed."

"It should also be afforded at all stages of the human experience, from birth to adolescence, adulthood and even in death."

Source

• sobserver.ws
• asiapacificreport.nz
• Image: cfnhri.org

The suggestion has been made following the incident in Australia where a Samoan woman has been charged for abandoning her baby in a drain.

She is the 30 year old daughter a Seventh Day Adventist church minister.

The woman has been living with her aunt, uncle and cousins in Sydney's west. Her parents and siblings live in Samoa.

Urging women to be more up front and ask for help when needed, Le'aupepe blamed such incidents on young people having too much freedom.

He said the onset of what he described as a "foreign concept called human rights" has not helped matters.

"In the life of a Samoan, even if you have ten children and married, you still have to obey your parents," said Le'aupepe.

"That is how it was in the past. Parents instructed their children according to God's teaching but the introduction of such belief (rights of a child) has suppressed parents."

"Now we have children turning and threatening their parents with these rights."

The Chairman said smacking children and instructing them on what to do has been reduced because of legislation "but this is where the problem arises."

The elderly Catholic deacon pointed out that in the past, children were taught that a person is an image of God.

He added that having a baby outside of marriage (tofale) is not new.

"When girls had babies outside of marriage in the past, they did not wrap them up and throw them away."

"No, they cared for them and their families accepted them as their own and loved them."

Some Samoan Community leaders in New Zealand have said that often Samoan women who are unmarried and pregnant fear shaming their families.

"I am urging the community to be supportive of what is happening and learn from it - someone in your area next to you is having that problem now," Sooalo Setu Mua said.

The tragic case has been a hot topic at Radio Samoa, with community leaders pleading with listeners to be compassionate.

They say that many people have become incensed by the incident, prompting calls to look at the reasons why a number of Samoan women abandon their babies after birth.

"A lot of the upset people are Samoans because they value the name of Samoa, but at the same time people have come to their senses that yes there is an issue," says Teleiai Edwin Puni, a Seventh Day Adventist minister who lives in Auckland.

Samoa's N.C.C. Secretary, Rev. Maauga Motu agrees Le'aupepe.

He says Samoan women abandoning their babies highlighted the need for Samoa to draw closer to God.

He believes that dumping babies are done by those who have gone away from God.

"I feel that the incident took place because she stopped going to church," said Rev. Motu.

"The pastor's house and the church is where children are nurtured."

"Once they break away from that, they start having problems and begin to take the wrong approach."

"The counseling from the pastor is no longer there, to advice and give support."

He added that because children were made aware of the gospel teachings, they also feared and knew the consequences of wrong actions.

Source

• TVNZ
• Samoa Observer
• Mailonline
• Image: Dailytelegraph.com

"Gambling is optional. It is a matter of a person's choice," he said.

"There is no specific teachings of the [Catholic] church with regards to gambling," says Father Ioane. "There are other forms of gambling which members of the church use for fundraising purposes like bingo for instance.

"As far as we're concerned, there are no teachings of the Catholic Church against gambling. There is no specific teaching that the Catholic Church is against gambling."

Last year, senior Catholic Deacon Kasiano Le'aupepe, speaking in his role of head of the the National Council of Churches (NCC), said "The love of money and the casinos will only drive people further into poverty," he warned. "People will start to save money to play in the casinos instead of feeding their families.

"The addiction will become too much; it will result in crime as people start stealing to fuel their addiction. Gambling opens the door to the influx of outsiders who have no fear for God."

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Image: pokies-casinos.com

"It was a decision by the Council to try and ensure no lives will be wasted and blood is not shed." They visited because they wanted the people of Satapuala "to feel God's presence and remind them that the heart of God is about keeping the peace," said Le'aupepe.

There is a long standing land dispute between Satapuala and the government over land now legally under the Samoa Trust Estates Corporation opposite Faleolo international airport.

The Satapuala village council recently delivered a letter to the Prime Minister asking the government to return part of the disputed land.

Villagers then set up a security watch post on disputed land after Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi said that police will soon take up camp on site.

Village orator Vaili Mimita confirmed the village's decision saying that matais from various sub-villages of Satapuala will take turns in keeping watch over the lands.

Vaili had previously announced the village's intention of taking over the airport.

Rev Le'aupepe was accompanied by an NCC delegation consisting of the President of the Methodist Church, Reverend Aisoli Iuli and Reverend Nu'uausala Siaosi of the Apia Protestant Church.

Vaili told the Samoa Observer they politely thanked the NCC for their visit and told them that Satapuala's decision stands.

"They (the delegation) told some of our matai that the Government had requested for their help as spiritual leaders of Samoa," said Vaili.

"We all knew that this was the Prime Minister's tactic in thinking that it would solve the problem, but he is wrong again."

Source

• The Samoa Observer
• Radio New Zealand International
• Talamua
• Image: Talamua

Last week the Chairman of NCC, Reverend Kasiano Le'aupepe, a deacon in the Catholic church, said he feared the perils of gambling will shake Samoa's Christian foundation.

Tuilaepa said that Le'aupepe must have been "joking."

The Prime Minister, who is also the chairman of the Samoa Rugby Union, has also been in the news for suggesting that the IRB is racist and its referees are idiots.

In the course of an interview after the match in which Samoa narrowly lost to Scotland the Prime Minister said, among other things that "If the siren sounds and the referee continues the match unnecessarily, then a rock hitting his head would be justified!"

The editor of Savali, the Samoan Government's official newspaper, Tupuola Terry Tavita, says that Tuilaepa's remarks have been misunderstood. "At the heart of the matter is, there are subtle nuances in the Samoan language and particular to Samoan dialogue and its intended Samoan audience that gets lost when translated to English," said Tupuola.

"What is good-humoured ribbing when said in Samoan could mean something else when quoted in a formal newspaper article in English and read by people who are not accustomed to Samoan humour and the Samoan colloquy," he said.

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Radio New Zealand International
• Savali
• Savali
• Image: Flickr

The Chairman of the National Council of Churches (NCC), Reverend Kasiano Le'aupepe, says the churches must play a more active role in addressing social problems in Samoa.

He says one of the biggest social problems in Samoa is the love of money.

"I believe this is what's causing all the problems Samoan people face today. Our people see money as their new god, that without money we would cease to exist. We have fallen into this idea that everything is about money," Le'aupepe says.

It is not "a bad thing to have money" but the church must be strong to tell its members that "not everything is about money."

Source

• WeekendObserver
• Image: Abitrage

"The love of money and the casinos will only drive people further into poverty... People will start to save money to play in the casinos instead of feeding their families," says the Chairman of Samoa's National Council of Churches, Reverend Kasiano Le'aupepe.

"The addiction will become too much; it will result in crime as people start stealing to fuel their addiction. Gambling opens the door to the influx of outsiders who have no fear for God," he said.

The Samoa Observer reports that the Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, did not have time to address the concerns expressed by Le'aupepe during an interview in his office last Tuesday.

In an earlier interview Tuilaepa said that the Government was going ahead with plans to build two casinos. One is reportedly planned for Savaii with the second one in Upolu. He said the idea behind the introduction of casinos is firstly to help towards economic growth, and secondly, as an incentive for tourists who enjoy this type of entertainment to come to Samoa.

Source:

• Sunday Samoan
• Image: The Guardian

Chairman of the National Council of Churches, Catholic Deacon Kasiano Le'aupepe, who led the service, called on the leaders of Samoa to take out a new leaf in the performance of their service to the country.

Source

• The Samoa Observer
• Image: The Samoa Observer