Fiji's powerful Methodist Church has warned the Qarase government of a political backlash if it does not address the church's concern about the constitutional protection given to gays.
Fiji TV says the warning follows the latest refusal by the commissioner central, Inoke Devo, to grant a permit to the Methodist Church's Suva circuit to stage march against gay sex.
A senior church spokesman, the Reverend Iliesa Naivalu, says the government is depriving church members of their constitutional rights.
He says the Methodist church has 250,000 members and the government should be very careful of where it stands on gay sex when the next general election comes around.
The Rev Naivalu says the church is calling on the nation to rescue gays from immorality.
He has also criticised the Fiji Human Rights Commission, saying it is fighting for immorality which is "divinely wrong."
The commission had warned last week that while one march against gay sex could be termed freedom of expression, a second or third march could be deemed hate speech and discrimination, and could result in prosecution.
