Muslims say: Put Christ back in Christmas

[xoxoxoBruce]

london - Muslim leaders joined Britain's equality watchdog Monday in urging Britons to enjoy Christmas without worrying about offending non-Christians.

"It's time to stop being daft about Christmas. It's fine to celebrate and it's fine for Christ to be star of the show," said Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Mr. Phillips, reflecting on media reports of schools scrapping nativity plays and local councils celebrating "Winterval" instead of Christmas, worried the unintended consequences of secularizing the holiday would "fuel community tension."

So he joined forces with minority religious leaders to put out a blunt message to the politically correct: leave Christmas alone.

Muslim Council of Britain spokesman Shayk Ibrahim Mogra said, "To suggest celebrating Christmas and having decorations offends Muslims is absurd. Why can't we have more nativity scenes in Britain?"

"Hindus celebrate Christmas, too. It's a great holiday for everyone living in Britain," said Anil Bhanot, general secretary of the UK Hindu Council.

Sikh spokesman Indarjit Singh said: "Every year I am asked 'Do I object to the celebration of Christmas?' It's an absurd question. As ever, my family and I will send out our Christmas cards to our Christian friends and others."

More than 70 percent of Britons – some 41 million – are Christian, according to 2001 census figures. Muslims are the second-largest religious group with about 1.6 million in Britain.

It nice to see some people thinking clearly.

[classicman]

squeaky wheel theory. bout time they came to their senses.

[Kitsune]

Wait...this was an issue? How?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

Wait...this was an issue? How?

It certainly has been for the PC police.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

It certainly has been for the PC police.

Sounds like its time for the "war on Christmas" to heat up, again.

Let's see some examples, then, of the "PC police" forcing people stifle their merriment. I haven't seen anything that leads me to believe people are scared into this stupidness.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I suggest you call the schools in your area, or any major corporation, and ask them what they plan on doing for Christmas. I'm willing to bet every one will tell you they are having a winter break... or some such euphemism.

@ SD, excellent link.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I suggest you call the schools in your area, or any major corporation, and ask them what they plan on doing for Christmas. I'm willing to bet every one will tell you they are having a winter break... or some such euphemism.

Taxpayer funded public schools not endorsing a religious holiday? This is not a surprise and certainly has nothing to do with people being "afraid" to wish people a Merry Christmas or "offending others". (Hint: public schools are secular.) Private schools, I'm assuming, would have a different answer.

The major corporation I work for has "Christmas Day" marked as an employee holiday this year (as they have for as long as anyone can remember), although that will change in the future -- we will not be given the day off. In its place, all employees will be given an extra floating holiday off to do with as they please. In my work environment in which a very large portion of the company doesn't celebrate Christmas, the change makes excellent business sense. For all the people that feel the need to complain about this, anyway: they'll get over it, their religion doesn't change, they still get the day off, the gifts will open the same, etc, etc.

And, yeah, I've heard all about how [major box store name here] is selling "Holiday Trees" this year or that [other major box store name here] has their employees say "Happy Holidays" to customers. In a population with varied beliefs, making your business appeal to everyone is good for money. What do you think December 25th really, honestly means to major retailers in this country? It's about selling as much crap to as many people as possible and that is no different than even fifty years ago. But selling Christmas decorations to people that don't even celebrate it? Pure business genius. My officemate started buying presents for her kids and putting up lights on her house but has no inkling of what the holiday means to Christians. They do it "because everyone else does" and don't feel any real religious attachment to giving their kids video games or putting a inflatable Santa in their yard.

So, really, the whole "Christmas fear" -- are you or anyone you know afraid to wish people "Merry Christmas" for fear of offending someone? Know anyone that is? I don't and I'm fairly certain the idea is made up to scare all the people that, for some reason, feel the need to have their most sacred beliefs validated by the wording on department store advertisement fliers.

In the end, no one is really being pressured by the "PC police" to keep their religious ideas away from others -- everyone is just as religiously free, in this country, as they ever were. Nothing the media has reported on in this "war" can change that.

[slang]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

It nice to see some people thinking clearly.

Yes, now if the secularists could just relax a bit we could all sing kumbaya as one big happy family.

[SteveDallas]

Another IMO excellent take on the subject.

[deadbeater]

I for one am celebrating Washington's Ambush on the German Hessians in Trenton, his first real victory in the American Reolution.

[piercehawkeye45]

This seems like an issue where the extremes on both sides end up ruining Christmas (The Holidays) for everyone when the majority of people could really give a shit. If a company starts selling "Holiday Trees" instead of "Christmas Trees", Christians really need to shut up and deal with it. America will not be solely Christian influenced forever. If people are offended by Christmas lights and decorations on people's houses, non-Christians really need to shut up and deal with it. America has and always will have a strong Christian influence.

[Razzmatazz13]

At Lowe's we have "Holiday Decorations" but "Christmas Trees" really...it's funny.

Oh, and Thanksgiving and Christmas Day are the only two paid holidays where the store is closed in the year.

[ZenGum]

Elspode, where are you?

I say it's time to reclaim the Yule time and take the Christ OUT of the midwinter's feast!
Green trees, holly, mistletoe, red-and-white clad dude climbing down your chimney - these are vestiges of various European pagan ceremonies and celebrations.
Lets put the emphasis back on the winter solstice, have a bit of sun-worship, maybe a few blood sacrifices (I'll use some tofu and a nice red wine sauce) and some good celebratory sex.
Then on the 25th we can just sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and wish the Christians well.

Oh and let me add
Do not take this post more than 1/4 seriously.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Lets put the emphasis back on the winter solstice, have a bit of sun-worship, maybe a few blood sacrifices

As long as we also emphasize the Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength!


"...for the rest of us!"

[monster]

Originally Posted by Razzmatazz13

At Lowe's we have "Holiday Decorations" but "Christmas Trees" really...it's funny.

Especially since decorating a tree for a winter celebration predates christanity

I call it a christmas tree so people know what the hell I'm talking about. but it's no more to do with the birth of ickle baby jesus to me than the lights I put on my hous are. And I call those fairy lights like all good Brits. And I put a "fairy" on top of my tree, like most Brits.

They're just words. Anyone offended by them needs to get a life.

But that said, Winterval was good because it wasn't just about Christmas. When I lived in Birmingham (UK) it started in time to cover Eid, Diwali, Winter Solstice and Channuka too and it really did bring people together (nobody has heard of Kwanzaa there) Pretty much all of those holidays involve light in some way shape or form. And who doesn't need light in the middle of winter? If it had just been called Christmas, or Diwali, I doubt it would have offended many (except those who make taking offence a hobby), but those who don't celebrate that particular holiday might not have realized there would be anything going on for them to enjoy, or might have thought their joining the fun would be frowned upon by their religion.