Dear Readers, ;
.Well, I wasn't expecting such a reaction to my meeting with Rania, but nevertheless I'm pleased. Just so you know, Rania and I met again this weekend at her house, so I could meet her children. The sweetest things EVER!
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Today is the 25th of December, a.k.a Christmas to most people around the world. I've witnessed many debates lately among people I know in Salalah on whether to acknowledge the fact that Christmas exists or not. Excuse me? Are we not Muslims who believe in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? Do we not believe in Jesus? Christmas is the day Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, one of the most important prophets in Islam.
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I'm fired up about this today because someone I know criticized me for wishing my Christian friends a Merry Christmas. She said I had sinned for believing in 'their' holiday. Remind me again which century we live in? I lived among Christians for several years. I do not 'celebrate' Christmas because I am Muslim but I do make sure to wish them a Merry Christmas because during Eid, they always sent me Eid cards, gifts, and some of them even fasted during Ramadan with me to try and understand my faith. It touched me, and I believe it helped them make positive changes in their lives.
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Are we not humans? Do we as Muslims not believe in Christianity as a major world religion? Do we not believe in the same God? Do we not share the same planet and breathe the same air?
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How do we expect others to understand us or appreciate our way of life as Muslims if we are unable to acknowledge what they believe in? Don't all world religions believe in the Golden Rule: " Do to others what you would like to be done to you "? Yes they do. Every single world religion. Our Prophet Mohammed PBUH, in his farewell cermon, also known as خطبة الوداع told his followers "Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you", and this is what we as humans should practice in our lives, regardless of what we believe in. We cannot continue living like enemies. Peace and understanding are what we should base our beliefs on.
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However! Although I recognize Christmas as a major religious event for Christians, I do not believe in the commercialized Christmas we see nowdays all over the world. Christmas has become a materialistic event. Many Christians don't even go to Church on Christmas anymore and merely spend all day, eating, drinking, and opening gifts. Many of the beautiful Christmas traditions are disappearing slowly, and this makes me sad. I was outraged when I drove past Browniz Cafe on Al-Salam street in Salalah and saw a huge cardboard Santa at the door. Hello? We live in a Muslim country. Santa does not represent the religious history behind Christmas. How do the management at Browniz think they are going to maintain their Omani customers during December? Let's be realistic here. No young man in Salalah is going to cheerfully walk into Browniz, sit on the sofa next to Santa and order a coffee. I think that's gone too far and I find it a little offensive.
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It also saddens me to see that many Christians tend to over-do it on the alcohol. Since when was Christmas about getting drunk? What about the Christmas parties at the major hotels where you go, dance and get drunk? Is that religious? What's happening to our world?
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Anyway, this post isn't about alcohol or parties. This post is about the incident with my friend. Instead of talking and criticizing, try to listen. Listen and you will understand. Listen and you will become a better person.
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Peace.
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it.
ReplyDeleteNow that I am a Muslim, I know why I am not supposed to wish people merry christmas, but when I was a non-muslim and put up my good ole' pagan Christmas tree, I was touched by the Omanis that wished me a Merry Christmas. I DID learn more about Islam because they were quite open with me. And they stayed far away from anything like decorating a tree with me.
ReplyDeleteSince when wishing someone a greeting according to their festival a sin?
ReplyDeleteThe sins are obvious in our religion. I think it is very nice of you that you're wishing them Merry Christmas. I mean they do this when we have Eid or Ramadan (like you mentioned) so why can't we do the same?
well said, and on the event of this prophets birthday I wish you a very merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteNice blog Nadia.
ReplyDeleteThis topic always causes a dilemma.. usually i just wish them happy holidays. Muslim scholars usually emphasize that we should not acknowledge other religions' occasions. The major problem is that other people altered their religions creating differences and conflicts. I disagree with you on believing in the same God as Christians believe in the trinity concept.
Whats happening to the world? This is a big question and hard to answer in a few words. I think we have not being fair to the world as human beings :(
Nothing wrong with sending well wishes to fellow human beings. The Prophet (saw) also said "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself" refering to humanity.
ReplyDeleteI find it very strange that Santa and x-mas trees are in all the supermarkets....in the west its nearly impossible to know when it Ws Eid, no one recognizes it, and few people really care, despite the fact that Muslims make up the second largest religion practiced. Maybe Santa and Trees should be reserved in a specialty shop for those who celebrate. The Muslim world should stop trying to appease and mimic the west.
I dont think decorating the shops with Xmass trees and Santa dolls is a bad idea..it actually gives some LIFE to that place doesnt it ? Dont you think glittering stars and cheerful Santa is a welcome change to the otherwise dull/routine scene ?? And wishing ur fellow being on their day of celebration is a positive thing which will help in spreading goodwill...
ReplyDeleteRania - Oman is not the "Muslim world". The Middle East is not the "Muslim world". There is no such thing. Indonesia has a population of over 60 million Muslims!
ReplyDeleteIt's also untrue that in the "West" (where is that by the way?) its impossible to know it's Eid. Go to any town or city with a high concentration of Muslims and you WILL know.
Christmas day happens on the same day every year because the world follows a certain agreed calendar. It's very easy for everyone, religious or not, Christian or not, to know when Christmas day is. One cannot say that about Eid. So it is not unreasonable to expect non-Muslims not to follow the Islamic calendar, and therefore perfectly reasonable that non-Muslims do not know when Eid is. It's not a conspiracy, it's psychology.
Most Christians who celebrate Christmas would not object if Christmas decorations were only available in one or two shops, just like Pork products. It is the Omani store owners that make a choice to make a (large) profit to sell and advertise Christmas.
Nadia - fully agree that saying "Merry Christmas" is simply a human thing to do. Also fully agree that it is over-commercialised, just like Eid. (I have my issues about how Ramadhan fasting is practiced nowadays but that's for another time - lol!)
It is not about appeasing the west with santas and Christmas trees in the supermarkets, that is just pure commercialism! No doubt we will see Eid commercialised in the west sooner or later, given that the most popular name in the UK at present is Mohammed.
ReplyDeleteBe grateful for small mercies, because once it has happened, there is no going back and what was once a simple family tradition of giving thanks becomes a slave to business.
BTW all---Christmas is NOT a Christian holiday i.e the birth of Jesus. It is a pagan holiday amalogomated by the Roman Christian Church. No Roman census(which is WHY Joseph and Maryam migrated to Bethelaham) WAS EVER taken in december in Judea. Historical fact about the date of Jesus aka Isa alahi salaam's birth.
ReplyDeleteHello Fred,
ReplyDeleteIf I may clarify...
I was making a general statement when I said "The Muslim World" and Oman is part of the Muslim world that is constantly looking up to western ideas and culture to their own detriment. The availability of Alcohol is a good example. Oman being a Muslim country should not have alcohol period (Islamic Law).
I agree with you 100% when you say that its for profit. Thats the problem, the profit gained is not worth the deterioration of culture or religion. (I am not talking about Santa or Trees) However, as Nadia said, it can feel offensive, maybe a nativity scene would better reflect the holiday?
I have lived in the US, Canada and the UK, in the biggest cities having the largest Muslim communities. Eid and Ramadan are barely recognized the way other holidays of all faiths and denominations. That has been my personal experience.
Its a hassle to get the day excused from work or school and many Muslims end up choosing to go to work over the obligatory Eid Prayer because of the insensitvity by employers.
Also, having a designated box on the calendar is not the kind of recognition I speak of.
James: I agree its all a matter of time.
I just want to reiterate that the important thing is that we Muslims and Non-Muslims are kind enough and respectful enough to one another that we wish each other happiness and joy on our holidays.
Can't see what's wrong with wishing non-Muslims a happy hoildays. It'd surly leave a good impressing about you as a human and a Muslim.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Nadia. :) *thumbs up*
Being a foreigner in Oman, loving this country so much, i can not believe sometimes how narow minded people can be.
ReplyDeleteI ALWAYS wish my Muslim friends for Eid, my Shia friends for Ahsuraa (like today - magureen) and i am very happy when they wish me Merry Xmas (not much of a believer anyways).
Being kind to other people is a MUST. Differentiating because of any belief, is a form of racism. COnsidering haram or sinful to wish Christians a Merry Xmas, is narrow minded boarding to stupid.
Also, Xmas was "invented" by the Church to cover the Bruma (winter solistice - the Day of the Sun God of the pagans). So much is true....
As for Oman having no alcohol being a muslim country... How would people feel if in the West they said NO mosques, or no to something that is a part of Muslim culture (yes, alcohol is a part of christian culture and is given IN church - red sweet wine together with communion)...
People, accepting others is a capacity that improves us as human beings... Do not let religion spoil that for u... It is a conscious choice u have to make...
Btw the point of moving date for Eid is a good one. I celebrated my first Eid at the age of 18 in an eastern block country (NO religion allowed at ALL at that time) with my Yemeni friends... :) how is that?
I celebrate EVERYTHING with my friends and I learn from them - I LOVE GANIPATI festivities... DOes that make me a bad person?
With uttmost respect to all religions, cultures and people...:)
Ah, you gotta smile at such religious idiots...
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe you should try some alcohol before you criticise Nadia!
;-)
Merry Christmas!
UD .. spare me! Hope you had a nice Christmas
ReplyDelete;-)
Why all the differences, why all the exclusivity of one religion over another, why can people not accept that just because someone has found a different way to faith it does not make it wrong or inferior....why not look for the universal qualities of goodness in everybody....
ReplyDeletemmmmm... I think Santa has nothing to do with Christmas or religion. In my country we celebrate Christmas but the whole Santa thing is just a total commercial scam.
ReplyDeleteAs for Christmas trees. In the olden days (well before christianity) the tree was used as a symbol for eternal life (it stays green in the winter) and the lights in the tree give light to an otherwise dark and cold winter. So, Christianity has adopted the "christmas" tree but whenever I see a Christmas tree when I'm in dark cold Europe all it does is fill me with a sense of light and warmth and I love it :-)
For me wishing people of other religions a happy religious holiday contributes to a deeper understanding of that other religion. To me it is wonderful that we live in such a diverse world and it is even more beautiful that we can live in this world and be free to have the religion we choose.
Hope I haven't offended anyone with the above....
Interesting, at first I was impressed with the topic and the different comments. However it started getting upsetting near the end with everyone getting defensive and offensive.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all let me get these simple disclaimers out of the way:
1) “Religion will always be a point of conflict as all faiths are different and are practiced individually and as a community. People of either religion may never agree but it is healthy to discuss it (with respect) amongst one another ”
2) “I don’t know if it’s a sin or not to wish someone a Marry Christmas as I am not a Scholar.”
3) “Religion is a personal choice, what I chose to follow may not suit you, so follow what you want and stop judging others.”
I personally wish people a Merry Christmas but that doesn’t necessarily mean its right. As a Muslim I understand that we must be tolerant and treat each other with respect and dignity, but we should also be ready to accept that some of the stuff we do to be accepted by others (in this case Christians) or to be “Politically Correct” may be considered a sin in Islam.
I think we should be tolerant of others but still keep our values. I agree that we should not deteriorate our religion for sake of profit but the truth is we can’t stop it. Look lets not pretend we are all righteous and don’t have our own sins. No one is perfect. So if you don’t want to say Marry Christmas than don’t. If you’re sad that your Muslim friend wont wish you a Marry Christmas because he/she thinks it’s a sin then tough luck. Plus do you really care?
We are different and we have to learn to live with each other. Modern* Christians are care free and liberal whilst Muslims are naturally conservative and protective. Plus Islam is a hard religion as it is with trying to remember right hand, left foot, changing prayer times, moon vs sun, say this when eating say that when entering a house, etc….. last thing I need to worry about are my Christian friends getting sad because I didn’t eat their rum cake or help roast the pig.
Hmm ok that was a bit drawn out and boring. Well what do you expect when you start talking about Religion? Someone please get us back to a different subject like the usless Smoking Ban that bans filtered cigarettes but allows the real menace of Shisha!
P.Ss all these Omani blogs are very entertaining and inspiring.
*For a lack of a better term (non-conservative/devout Christians)
PEACE - "Grey Sheep"
Interesting, at first I was impressed with the topic and the different comments. However it started getting upsetting near the end with everyone getting defensive and offensive.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all let me get these simple disclaimers out of the way:
1) “Religion will always be a point of conflict as all faiths are different and are practiced individually and as a community. People of either religion may never agree but it is healthy to discuss it (with respect) amongst one another ”
2) “I don’t know if it’s a sin or not to wish someone a Marry Christmas as I am not a Scholar.”
3) “Religion is a personal choice, what I chose to follow may not suit you, so follow what you want and stop judging others.”
I personally wish people a Merry Christmas but that doesn’t necessarily mean its right. As a Muslim I understand that we must be tolerant and treat each other with respect and dignity, but we should also be ready to accept that some of the stuff we do to be accepted by others (in this case Christians) or to be “Politically Correct” may be considered a sin in Islam.
I think we should be tolerant of others but still keep our values. I agree that we should not deteriorate our religion for sake of profit but the truth is we can’t stop it. Look lets not pretend we are all righteous and don’t have our own sins. No one is perfect. So if you don’t want to say Marry Christmas than don’t. If you’re sad that your Muslim friend wont wish you a Marry Christmas because he/she thinks it’s a sin then tough luck. Plus do you really care?
We are different and we have to learn to live with each other. Modern* Christians are care free and liberal whilst Muslims are naturally conservative and protective. Plus Islam is a hard religion as it is with trying to remember right hand, left foot, changing prayer times, moon vs sun, say this when eating say that when entering a house, etc….. last thing I need to worry about are my Christian friends getting sad because I didn’t eat their rum cake or help roast the pig.
Hmm ok that was a bit drawn out and boring. Well what do you expect when you start talking about Religion? Someone please get us back to a different subject like the usless Smoking Ban that bans filtered cigarettes but allows the real menace of Shisha!
P.S all these Omani blogs are very entertaining and inspiring.
*For a lack of a better term (non-conservative/devout Christians)
PEACE – “Grey Sheep”
Beautifully written Nadia, made me even more eager to visit Oman soon (I'm from Poland). I think the words "We are all human" explain it all
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
Hanna
Interesting topic!
ReplyDeleteAbout some of your questions though:
"Are we not humans? Do we as Muslims not believe in Christianity as a major world religion? Do we not believe in the same God? Do we not share the same planet and breathe the same air?"
Answers: Yes, Yes, No, Yes.
Like one of the people commented earlier, Christians and Muslims do NOT worship the same God. One group believes that "God never begets nor is begottten" and the other believes that God, in the form of the only Begotton Son, came and died for the sins of the world." How can you say they are one and the same?! One is wrong. One is right. Like every religous group, they are mutually exclusive. One can be right and the rest all wrong, all can be wrong, but they certainly can't all be right. (As I'm a Christian, you can guess which argument I'm for. :-))
How does one "respect" other religions without denying their own?
(this is Andy in Oman. Had to sign in as "anonymous" as it wouldn't work otherwise.)
Salam Nadia, this is my first time on ur blog.
ReplyDeleteto be honest, the western world doesn't have a clue what eid is, let along decorate their houses and celebrate eid with their neighbors like some muslims want to do for xmas.people like me living in the west still go to school and work during eid
, but during xmas we get weeks off although we do not celebrate the holiday.
the reason muslims can not say merry xmas is not out of arrogance,racism or narrowmindedness as some people have stated already.
the reason is that when a muslim person says merry xmas to a christian person on the 25th of dec., it is as if they were saying "I testify that God has begotten a son on the 25th on dec.congratulations" so saying that phrase is basically a shirk (the Ulluma agree) because God swt says in the quran that every time a person says "God begot a son", the sky and the earth want to crumple out of anger but by Allah's will and mercy they stay put.