Muslims “celebrating Christmas”

[lastofallthebugs]

I follow a fair few Muslim footballers from the premier league on social media. Every year they post pictures of their children in front of Christmas trees, wish followers/fans a merry Christmas and seem to be enjoying the holiday for exactly what it is - time with family and friends. They always seem happy and grateful for the break.

And every year, without fail, they are attacked by a seemingly strange subset of people who think they shouldn’t be doing this at all and shouldn’t join in. The same seems to extend to other Muslim people I see online - they get hatred for having a big family dinner at Christmas time.

AIBU to think you can’t have it both ways? You can’t say you want people to integrate, but get angry when they do!

Couldn't agree more @lastofallthebugs.

A former colleague is a Muslim and Head of a Muslim school. He's currently with his family on a visit to Pakistan and has posted photos today of having Christmas Dinner, his child meeting Santa and getting a present, etc. I wished them all a lovely day.

I genuinely do not understand the mentality of people who post the sort of abuse the OP is describing.

They're not going to Mass or Service, they're celebrating the secular part of Christmas and there's nothing wrong with that if they're happy to do that. I have a friend who's a strict Muslim and she won't do that, which is fine, but there are less strict Muslims who are happy to do the gifts and tree, etc, part of it. People are just too thick to understand this sometimes. They don't get the nuances.

I have to say it makes me incredibly angry. I think as a country we’ve moved from the notion of Christmas being an incredibly Christian holiday to a more secular one. It’s more about family, resetting at the end of the year and gathering. Yet when people from other cultures join in with that, they get hatred!

I think they’re motivated by sheer hatred

Haters will hate without logic. So whatever group they’ve chosen to hate can’t do right.
Merry Christmas to everyone of every faith from this atheist. Hope you’re having a lovely break.

Bigots gonna bigot. It’s this sort of nonsensical double think that usually unveils that the “concerned citizens” who smell faintly of roundabout paint just really don’t like people who are different…

Also very true.

I’m Jewish and I celebrate Christmas (like in a totally cultural non-religious sense). In fact, I host Christmas lunch most years for dh’s (non-Jewish, mostly Christian) family. Who doesn’t love a feast day? I’ve celebrated Eid, I’ve celebrated Diwali, etc depending on what country I lived in.

Agreed, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Obviously, it’s not at all about Christmas anyway.

Why do they get annoyed ? I bet those people don’t go to mass or anything on Christmas. Most people around where I live don’t . It doesn’t have the same religious meaning it did before for most people as far as I can see.

Yes amazing how folk who go 'you should adopt our ways if you want to live here' then seem really riled when someone does just that!

I genuinely think that it’s because when this sort of thing happens, they can’t pretend it’s about “integration”

Apologies, i accidentally hit yabu - even though quite clearly you’re not.

It’s never been about lack of integration.

It‘s about hate and not wanting people who are not western white European in the country.

People that complain about things like this will always see the differences between people and none of the ways we are the same.

I fully celebrate Christmas but don't have a religious bone in my body. In this country it's hard to avoid Xmas really so you might as well join in.

Christmas as a celebration is both a cultural secular thing and a religious thing. Not sure why people get confused about that

Also Jesus is a prophet in Islam.

Well, quite. I don’t have a religious streak but I still celebrate. Nobody ever has a word to say about it for me!

I'm Christian and I love when other religions / cultures celebrate Christmas. If you live in a Christian country and are surrounded by the lovely traditions we have, why not join in? It's beautiful.

People here seem to be assuming it’s white English people who are raging about this (and I’m sure some are) but surely it’s more from other Muslims who think this is haram?

It will be idiots who are angry about any Muslim person doing anything (even articulating in Christian festivals🙄) or strict/judgemental Muslims who think it’s forbidden and therefore want to lecture.

Lots of our Muslim friends go on holiday over Xmas - or see family and have a feast! Why can’t they join in?
we are. Mixed household and do both Christmas and Eid ♥️

Good point.

It’s a mix.

To be honest the only one who seems to get any grief off other Muslims is mo salah. A lot of the people criticising otherwise are white pekple.

Very interested in this thread following a conversation at work with a Muslim colleague.

He doesn’t celebrate or take part in Christmas because he said Muslims aren’t supposed to celebrate birthdays - and whilst he recognises Jesus as a prophet it makes no difference when he was born. I asked him about the secular part and he said no because most of that comes from the pagans.

Some of the Muslims at work get proper involved with Christmas though.

i suppose like any group you have your people who adhere 100% to the rules and others who live a different way

Glory to the new born king.