ARAB NEWS
Published — Monday 21 December 2015
JEDDAH: The Shoura Council will vote on Monday (today) on a proposal to identify tasks of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) by issuing specific guidelines for the body’s members.
A Shoura member who proposed this recommendation called for clarifying cases that need Haia’s interference.
Abdullah Al-Harbi said malls and large centers must be forced to provide offices to Haia members to protect people from harassment and prevent any wrongful behaviors.
“There are more than 10 million expatriates from different religions living in the Kingdom. Most of them perform their religious rituals at their homes and in closed areas. While these expatriates have different social customs, they must be respected if they do not violate public laws,” he added.
“The proposal has been submitted for voting at the council on Monday, and it will help clarify the working of Haia and reduce mistakes of its members by limiting their authority in evaluating violations,” he added.
Meanwhile, Haia in Jeddah has sought the help of six government agencies to prevent the symbols and festivities of Christmas and New Year from being shown and celebrated in the city.
The Haia noted that manifestations of these holidays that should be banned include the distribution of Christmas cards and the adorning of trees with Christmas decorations.
The Jeddah Secretariat has demanded that government agencies work together to take precautionary measures to prevent hospitals, hotels, health centers and companies from holding Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The secretariat has also requested the bodies concerned to report any events relating to Christmas and New Year celebrations inside these facilities to the Haia immediately.
The government agencies included in a recent circulation from the Haia in which they were requested to monitor any manifestations of such celebrations were the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance, Health Affairs Department, Commerce and Industry Chamber, the Secretariat and the Police Department.
SOURCE:
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, The Muslim Times
What should we comment on this? Well: My own personal views: Of course Christians should be permitted to celebrate Christmas. However, the ‘over-commercialization’ of Christmas even in non-Christian countries is silly. In Thailand I recall there are less than 1% Christians, however, during the Christmas season the department stores are full of Christmas decorations and Christmas songs. That is overdoing it a bit. Jordan used to have about 5% Christians, now may be 3% (as the USA grants immigration status easily to them it seems). Christmas decorations can be found in all hotels and departments stores and malls. Again: of course the Christians should be permitted to celebrate Christmas at home and in the churches, but do the other 97% really need to listen to Christmas songs of ‘white Christmas’ ? (By the way: Christians are not discriminated against at all in Jordan. They are economically leaders. The 2% left because of better economic prospects for the youth elsewhere…)
What is the Christian population of Jordan, 2% or 3%?
Jordan, which, ‘by the way: Christians are not discriminated against at all–They are economically leaders’, shows its tolerance by not allowing any conversion to Christianity. That ‘tolerance’ is also bolstered by the reduction in the Christian population from ‘5%’ to ‘2%’ or ‘3%’. The rest having been granted ‘immigration status easily’ by the US. Why would anyone choose to migrate from his country of origin if the conditions there were conducive?
Rafiq’s anger is that Christmas enjoys such popularity even in non-Christian countries.
To him, that is not a welcome development. Celebrations, he says, should be restricted to churches and homes in conformity with the dhimma aspect of sharia. Rafiq sees nothing wrong when Muhammad’s birthday is celebrated in the US and the West where, in some countries, the muslim population is just as insignificant, even though it should be a stark reminder. I am sure it pleased Rafiq when Her Majesty allowed ‘British’ muslims to celebrate the ramadan in Windsor Castle.
Talking about the commercialization of festivals, in my country, the ramadan is a season of hardship as those who are supposed to be fasting gulp down more food than at any other time and this sends prices skyrocketing.
The idea of America granting immigration status easily to Jordanian Christians is another myth. Year after year, it has been shown that muslims are more readily admitted into America than Christians because of what the proponents call ‘diversity’ or ‘multiculturalism’. The situation has become worse with the antichrist now occupying the White House. When 900 Syrian muslim refugees were granted visas, only 22 Christians were considered. The Yazidis are classified as a persecuted people and are being considered for refugee status. The same does not apply to the Christians who are the ones targeted most by the islamic terrorist groups.
Scholarship means setting the record straight by being factual instead of engaging in unfounded fabrications.
I am not exactly ‘angry’ about the commercialization of Christmas. I just think it is silly. It is actually the Christians who should object to it.
Christmas is no more commercialized or silly than any of the eids. The Christians should be left alone to take care of their problem while others tackle theirs.
A pot should not be calling a kettle black.
Just to clarify: I do not think Christmas is silly. But when for instance in Thailand with less than 1% Christians all visitors have to listen to songs of ‘White Christmas’ then I think it is silly. It is not Christians who put up the songs, but Thai Business Managers who think they have to follow the commercialization.
Those who play or listen to White Christmas do so willingly. No one forces them to make that choice. There is something called freedom to choose what one wants.
If the Thai businessmen had been playing ‘allahu akbar’ there would be no problem, the commercialization notwithstanding.