CAIRO – In a gesture of goodwill, a leading British Muslim organization has released Christmas cards, congratulating the public on the festive season and assuring them that Muslims do not want to ban Christmas.
“Who wants to ban Christmas? Not Muslims,” the Muslim Council of Britain said on its website.
“So put up the Christmas tree, prepare the roast, wrap the presents and spread the Yuletide joy.
“None of us will be offended if you go ahead and enjoy the Christmas cheer. We’ll remember too the blessings Jesus gave to all of us. He was, after all, an important Prophet to Muslims.”
Issuing the cards, the MCB wanted to assure public that Muslims would not oppose Christmas Celebrations.
One of the cards read, “Keep Calm, It’s Christmas”, and the other “Don’t Panic, Christmas Is Not Banned”.
Moreover, the council added that Muslims, either those celebrating Christmas or no, will not be offended by the season.
“Some Muslims will join in those celebrations, remembering too that Jesus was an important Prophet of Islam.
“Others will not join. But very few Muslims will be offended at the celebrations taking place, and no one should be obliged to change their celebrations at risk of offending Muslims.
“So whether you are celebrating Christmas or not, may these holidays bring joy and happiness to you and your loved ones.”
Britain is home to a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2.7 million.
Christmas is the main festival on the Christian calendar. Its celebrations reach its peak at 12:00 PM on December 24 of every year.
Muslims believe in Jesus as one of the great Prophets of God and that he is the son of Mary but not the Son of God. He was conceived and born miraculously.
In the Noble Qur’an, Jesus is called “Isa”. He is also known as Al-Masih (the Christ) and Ibn Maryam (Son of Mary).
Muslim scholars assert that Muslims have their own identity and in order to keep this identity they must not celebrate Christmas or holidays of non-Muslims.
By participation in Christmas, they say, it is possible that slowly one may lose his or her consciousness of this basic point of difference between Islam and Christianity.