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Freedom of religion not threatened in Samoa, says A.G.

P.M. Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi and A.G. Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff. [Samoa Observer]

It’s official. Samoa is now a Christian state.

The bill to make this happen, the Constitutional Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2017, was passed in Parliament last week when all members of Parliament voted in favour of it.

But any suggestion the new law would endanger freedom of religion in Samoa has been immediately quashed by the Attorney General, Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff.

“The amendment did not amend, alter or change the rights of individuals within Samoa, to exercise their religious beliefs as they deem fit,” Lemalu said in a statement he issued the Samoa Observer.

“This individual right is outlined in Article 11 of the Constitution, ‘Freedom of Religion’ and it remains untouched. 

“So while the national religion is now confirmed as Christianity, the individual freedom of religion of all citizens within our nation; remains intact.”

During the one-day Parliament session, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi moved a motion for the bill to be read for the final time and the motion was carried. 

A total of 43 M.P.s supported the Constitutional amendment and no member opposed. The Bill will become an Act of Parliament upon assent by the Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi.

“The Constitutional Amendment is effectively a declaration placed within  Article 1 of the Constitution, which is an Article that legally describes Samoa as a nation,” Lemalu said. 

“It has confirmed Samoa’s national religion as reflective of our overall Christian beliefs and faith. This acknowledgement was always a part of our national character in sayings such as “Fa’avae I Le Atua Samoa” and in the acknowledgement of God, in the preamble of the Constitution. 

“The Amendment has now taken the step of placing these acknowledgements of our Christian faith, within the body of the actual law itself.”

When the Bill was introduced, Prime Minister Tuilaepa said the Constitution’s reference to Christianity was only in the Preamble. This was inadequate, he said.

Read more at Samoa Observer