Christmas – Islamic Research and Information Center (IRIC)

British soldiers, Pakistani officials and Israeli diplomats celebrate Mawlid, Christmas and Chanukah together

Islamic Monitor — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 11:59:27 +0000

Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were among the 200 people who gathered at the Ilford Muslim Community Centre on Thursday 13 December to celebrate the Mawlid, Christmas and Chanukah. Among the guests were members of the British Armed Forces, the Royal Air Force, as well as officials from the Israeli Embassy and the Pakistan High Commission.

Bashir Chaudhry, who is the chairman of the League of British Muslims spearheaded the event. He told the Ilford Recorded that: “It was quite wonderful… Redbridge is one of the most diverse boroughs and yet it has managed to be one of the most integrated and cohesive in the country…My purpose for holding this event, celebrating all the religious festivals, was to ensure that there is community cohesion and an opportunity for people from different faiths to meet, network and share food.

“It was a hugely successful event, one that demonstrates that there is a need for more events of this nature.” During the course of the evening, Rabbi Hulbert took to the stage to light the candles of the Chanukah Menorah while reciting a prayer in Hebrew.

Source: 5pillars

Americans say religious aspects of Christmas are declining in public life

Islamic Monitor — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 07:49:48 +0000

As long-simmering debates continue over how American society should commemorate the Christmas holiday, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that most U.S. adults believe the religious aspects of Christmas are emphasized less now than in the past – even as relatively few Americans are bothered by this trend. In addition, a declining majority says religious displays such as nativity scenes should be allowed on government property. And compared with five years ago, a growing share of Americans say it does not matter to them how they are greeted in stores and businesses during the holiday season – whether with “merry Christmas” or a less-religious greeting like “happy holidays.”

Currently, 55% of U.S. adults say they celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, including 46% who see it as more of a religious holiday than a cultural holiday and 9% who celebrate Christmas as both a religious and a cultural occasion. In 2013, 59% of Americans said they celebrated Christmas as a religious holiday, including 51% who saw it as more religious than cultural and 7% who marked the day as both a religious and a cultural holiday.

To be sure, while the public’s commemoration of Christmas may have less of a religious component now than in the past, the share of Americans who say they celebrate Christmas in some way has hardly budged at all. Nine-in-ten U.S. adults say they celebrate the holiday, which is nearly identical to the share who said this in 2013. About eight-in-ten will gather with family and friends. And half say they plan to attend church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, little changed since 2013, the last time Pew Research Center asked the question.

Source: Pew Research Center

Charity launches festive TV ad to challenge view of British Muslims as anti-Christmas

Islamic Monitor — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 12:25:14 +0000

The first mainstream television advertisement by a Muslim charity will be aired over the festive period, a development many hope will help to challenge the misconception that Muslims are anti-Christmas. The 59-second advert for the West Yorkshire charity Penny Appeal highlights the often ignored role of British Muslims in helping vulnerable people across the UK over Christmas.

The commercial, which will debut on Christmas Eve and will feature on ITV and Channel 5 over the festive period, underlines the fact that for many British Muslims the festive season is about helping others.

Recognition of the charitable contribution made by Britain’s Muslim community follows years of fake news stories claiming that Muslims are opposed to Christmas. The latest emerged on Thursday, albeit in Italy, and centered on claims – later found to be misreported – from rightwing media commentators that officials in the north of the country had ordered the removal of a Christmas tree to avoid offending Muslims.

A UK parliamentary report published the previous day promoted a more accurate and competing view, concluding that Muslims are not recognized for the charity work they undertake, particularly over Christmas. The report by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on British Muslims said that charitable acts by the UK’s Muslim community were “willfully” ignored by the UK media.

Former Tory cabinet minister Baroness Warsi, treasurer of the APPG, admitted that her own party, aided by sections of the media, had fostered negative and ill-founded allegations against Britain’s 3 million Muslims… Bilal Hassam, creative director of British Muslim TV, said he hoped more people knew that Britain’s Muslims embodied the true spirit of Christmas.

Source: The Guardian