Christmas is Canceled

[DrLeftover]

Super-rich Sultan of Brunei bans Christmas

Oil-rich Brunei has officially banned all public celebrations of Christmas, announced its Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The ban was implemented after a number of people were reportedly spotted wearing clothes resembling Santa Claus at Christmas time.

Businesses that publicly displayed Christmas decorations were also asked to take them down and the ministry confirmed receiving their "full cooperation" on it.

The move follows Brunei's wealthy Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah's announcement last April on the introduction of a new Islamic penal code making it the first East Asian country to ever introduce Islamic criminal law.

“Muslims should be careful not to follow celebrations such as these that are not in any way related to Islam, for it is feared that this could lead to tasyabbuh (imitation) and could unknowingly damage the aqidah (faith) of Muslims.”
- Government spokesman, Brunei

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/super-rich-sultan-brunei-bans-christmas-1482577

 

[seasidemike]

well surprise surprise surprise

 

[Jazzy]

In response to queries on the new ban, a spokesman quoted a 27 December ministry statement on The Brunei Times that condemned any public act of celebrating non-Islamic rituals as they, "can be seen as propagations of religions other than Islam."

The statement further said, reported The Brunei Times: "Believers of other religions that live under the rule of an Islamic country - according to Islam - may practise their religion or celebrate their religious festivities among their community, with the condition that the celebrations are not disclosed or displayed publicly to Muslims.

The title of the article is very misleading. He's not banning Christmas, he's banning public celebrations of Christmas.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

In response to queries on the new ban, a spokesman quoted a 27 December ministry statement on The Brunei Times that condemned any public act of celebrating non-Islamic rituals as they, "can be seen as propagations of religions other than Islam."

The statement further said, reported The Brunei Times: "Believers of other religions that live under the rule of an Islamic country - according to Islam - may practise their religion or celebrate their religious festivities among their community, with the condition that the celebrations are not disclosed or displayed publicly to Muslims.

The title of the article is very misleading. He's not banning Christmas, he's banning public celebrations of Christmas.

I would say that distinction is not much of a difference. I mean a Muslim could be walking by a house with a open window of a personal home and OH MY GOD I SAW A OFFENSIVE CHRISTMAS TREE! So basically along as you keep it behind closed doors with the shades closed and don't you dare say merry Christmas to a stranger and you are good. Christmas is basically banned.

 

[Nebulous]

Oh well. Christmas is allowed where I live. :xmas10:

 

[beowulf]

especially since jesus was a prophet in the eyes of the islamic faith

wish we could ban it here too to be honest

 

[DrLeftover]

Some seem to forget that, In Practice, there is no "freedom of religion" in an Islamic State.

11 Jan

Cairo (AFP) - An Egyptian court has sentenced a student to three years in jail for announcing on Facebook that he is an atheist and for insulting Islam, his lawyer said Sunday.

Karim al-Banna, a 21-year-old whose own father testified against him, was jailed by a court in the Nile Delta province of Baheira on Saturday, lawyer Ahmed Abdel Nabi told AFP.

"He was handed down a three-year prison sentence, and if he pays a bail of 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($ 140 or 117 euros) the sentence can be suspended until a verdict is issued by an appeals court," Abdel Nabi said, adding that an appeal was to be heard on March 9.

Abdel Nabi said his client's father had testified against his son, charging that he "was embracing extremist ideas against Islam".

Banna's name had appeared in a list of known atheists in a local daily after which his neighbours harassed him, said Ishaq Ibrahim, a researcher on religion and beliefs at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.

http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-student-gets-3-jail-term-atheism-152045172.html;_ylt=AwrSyCMGmLJU1UQAe.rQtDMD

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

especially since jesus was a prophet in the eyes of the islamic faith

wish we could ban it here too to be honest

And then next they would probably ban something you love dearly. Bad idea.