Muslim Christmas Advert

[IHATEPeppaPig]

Apparently people are outraged by the Tesco Christmas advert featuring Muslim women exchanging gifts and it’s causing daily mail readers to implode.

It literally is 2 seconds of the advert and is women in hijabs handing over a Tesco’s bag - Tesco’s tag line is #everyonewelcome

I’m not a person of faith and I celebrate Christmas why is it seemingly unacceptable for others to celebrate it? AIBU to be annoyed at the outrage and think most of the people who are livid about it are probably hypocrites who won’t go to church on Christmas anyway?

Ffs why would this upset anyone? Christmas is mostly celebrated as a secular festival in UK anyway. Yes, it is a Christian holiday but most people in the UK who celebrate it aren't religious. And if I wanted to take part in a different religion's festival I wouldn't expect anyone to be offended (as long as I was sensitive about it! So the equivalent of this would be if I chose to give a child some chocolate coins for Chanukah without being Jewish).

Why is this important? I think all the mum's I see at school are not Christian (most do not go to church). No one minds if I give gifts to people etc. Ridiculous when I was a young child my Muslim friends and I exchanged cards for anything!
I guess some people find it offensive that most people are flexible and happy to celebrate anything that comes along! Opening of a crisp packet? I'm there

Of course Jesus is in the Koran. So ..... there's nothing odd about those two faiths sharing a festival.

I thought Christmas was present day is there some other significance?

Muslim families living in the UK might well buy a Christmas tree, exchange gifts just like most other people living in this country.
Not just here either - Muslim families in Lebanon might have Baba Noel come to visit.
It's not just about Christianity - Christmas existed as Yule before that and there are traditions not linked to the bible. Jesus was probably born much later in the year but the Romans spreading Christianity co-opted local festivals. Much like Tesco, in fact.

I am 100% behind anything that makes daily mail readers implode.

I am currently on the way to a dreaded meeting and you have inordinately cheered me up

I'm in the crisp packet club too what. Love any kind of celebration!

I don't get the outrage either.

I know lots of Muslims who celebrate Christmas, even if it's just low key. A nice family meal, exchange a couple of gifts and chill in front of the TV.

Especially if they have children who have been learning carols, practicing for parts in the school Nativity and making Christmas decorations since November!

My Muslim NDN always gives us a card and gift at Christmas, always has. Jesus is a prophet in Islam, his birth is important.
Anyone living in Britain can celebrate Christmas, it's part of our culture, not just a religious festival, and I don't know anyone slightly bothered by this advert.

Many Muslim families celebrate the birth of Jesus who they view as an important prophet just not the son of God. I feel the ‘outrage’ over this is just a way of people with racist tendencies feeling they have a permissible opinion!

My family was a bit Muslim growing up (obviously we weren't the kinds of muslims who went around wearing hijabsbut still, more Muslim than Christian at any rate). We always celebrated Christmas (we put more effort into Christmas than Muslim religious festivals). Also, Jesus is a prophet in Islam anyway so it's not like Christian's get the monopoly of Jesus love (or love of minced pies).

A Muslim girl in my daughter's class hands out lovely Christmas cards from some sort of interfaith charity, with wording something like "from my faith to yours at this special time of year"

When I first moved to London, I had Christmas dinner with my Muslim friend from university and her family - tandoori chicken, rice and sprouts. Many Muslims celebrate Christmas.

I thought the problem with the Tesco ad was that they bang on about how they have turkey for everybody but don't sell halal turkeys, so the presence of hijab-wearing (so probably quite religious) Muslims in the ad is just tokenism and window-dressing.

I don’t get the problem. Christmas is a bank holiday. Everyone is off work, so it’s not surprising that people other than Christians will have a get together and celebrate with their families? We’ve always had a Christmas dinner and my kids love Christmas even though we’re Muslim. We do cards and presents for special people and teachers. I bet the people complaining don’t even know the first thing about Christianity ✋️

Oh god how frigging ridiculous. Half the time they're moaning about muslims NOT celebrating christmas because they're in this country and should apparently do as we do

Make up your minds you bunch of bigots.

it's brilliant to have included a Muslim family, well done Tesco though they just didi it for commercial reasons

Most Muslim families celebrate a version of Yule.

I am 100% behind anything that makes daily mail readers implode

Half the time they're moaning about muslims NOT celebrating christmas because they're in this country and should apparently do as we do

Damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Christmas is for everyone. This is the whole message of christmas.

It is a time of giving, forgiveness and kindness, and for everyone to enjoy.

Tesco, along with some other major brands like McCain, have been doing a lot of work to feature typical British families who are not white. It's great, and will really help to act as a counterweight to the number of times a Muslim appears on TV with accompanying scary music suggesting they must be a terrorist and almost certainly 'don't belong'.

On the other hand, it's also the extension of capitalism- expanding retail opportunities around Christmas into groups who might not have been tempted or expected to spend money previously! As always, swings and roundabouts!

DM 'they should make an effort to integrate'. 'they find it offensive and hate it/war on Christmas'.
'Hang on, they integrate and don't hate Christmas? Booo'
Normal service will be resumed and in 24 hours they'll have a campaign to go back to Christmas not involving gifts but instead requiring 10 hours in a suitable church with break for queens speech in order to be a real Christmas.

Damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Given the amount of people who celebrate Christmas giving no thought to the religious significance to Christians of the day, why wouldn't Muslims, or any other faith, join in too? It's not like there's much else going on in the UK on the 25th.

@WhatwouldAryado i love a good party so I’m with you on the crisp opening!!

I’m pretty sure Tescos is doing for the publicity - well as they say, any publicity is good publicity.

The daily mail gang are hilarious - OUTRAGED I TELL YOU!!! But yes, anyone that this bothers probably do have racist tendencies so I’m not surprised.

If Muslims don't take part then they don't integrate. If they're seen to be taking part then that's an outrage. Ok then

I wonder how many people in that advert aren't......Christians?

How dare non Christians celebrate Christmas and be featured in adverts?

I'm surprised there's no outrage because Jesus and religious symbols aren't featured in the adverts.

DH and I thought it was a really nice ad and I hate Tesco!