Sultan of Brunei bans Christmas 'because it could damage faith of Muslims'

Tiny conservative nation on Borneo warns citizens they could face five years in jail if they celebrate Christmas
The Sultan of Brunei has declared that anyone found illegally celebrating Christmas could face a five year jail sentence, according to reports.
The conservative Muslim country on the island of Borneo stated the punishment would apply to anyone found sending festive greetings – or wearing Santa hats. Non-Muslims are allowed to celebrate Christmas – but they must do so only within their communities and first alert authorities. At least 65 per cent of the 420,000-strong population of the oil-rich state are Muslims. The Ministry of Religious Affairs said in a statement: "These enforcement measures are ... intended to control the act of celebrating Christmas excessively and openly, which could damage the aqidah (beliefs) of the Muslim community." In a warning to Muslims earlier this month, a group of Imams warned that any celebration "not in any way related to Islam” could lead to "‘tasyabbuh’ (imitation) and unknowingly damage the ‘aqidah’ (faith) of Muslims".


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/12063373/Sultan-of-Brunei-bans-Christmas-because-it-could-damage-faith-of-Muslims.html

You cannot make it up how bonkers religions really are.
Where they are happy to try and convert people, they surpress any different belief syste.
I mean when you think about this, not only does it show fear and doubt that their own faith is that bad, that peple might be drawn to other faiths. It shows that again they are not allowing then even Muslims to be free to embrace their own faith. Its enforced onto everyone.

All religion is fear and doubt.

Yet there a loads of Muslim countries that celebrate Christmas, even Saudi, the shopping malls have loads of Christmas trees lit up.  Sultan of Brunei always was a bit odd.

The wearing of Santa hats has very little to do with Islam or Christianity anyway. Maybe he's just fed up of Christmas starting so early every year, and the endless advertising. I couldn't blame him for that.

Meh, it's a tiny country.

Couple of years ago:

Dubai: Malls Abuzz with Celebration as Huge Christmas Trees Attract Shoppers
Dubai: Malls Abuzz with Celebration as Huge Christmas Trees Attract Shoppers
Pics: Ramcy Fernandes
Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai
Dubai, Dec 24: Come Christmas and it's time once again for malls around Dubai to be decked up with vibrant colours for the festival.
Christmas Trees in some of the major malls like City Centre in Deira, Lulu Centre in Ghusais, Wafi City, Lamcy Plaza and Mall of the Emirates attracted a large number of visitors who were spotted posing with the trees for photographs.
 
The Christmas Trees are huge, decorated with stars, lights, bells, confetti and flowers from top to bottom. The cynosure of all eyes, some of these trees are also accompanied by models of reindeers, cribs, teddy bears, toys and snow, adding to the festive spirit.
In Deira City Centre, children were seen eagerly participating in activities like face painting and creating their own artworks on paper. Santa Claus had children as well as adults flocking to shake a hand or get a candy. Shoppers have been busy making last-minute visits to get ready for the festival, and card shops were brimming with customers.
Apart from the decorations, the shopping malls are also making the best use of the festive season, with a variety of offers, discounts and sales. An added advantage is that the Dubai Shopping Festival will begin soon after Christmas.
Christmas joy has truly permeated the city and has made shopping experience in Dubai malls a splendid experience.

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=125598

You said saudi, not Dubai

Doh

So if anyone wants to escape the trappings of Christmas, Brunei is the place to be.

I've met and worked with, lots of Muslims, who whilst they may not "celebrate" Christmas in the traditional sense, enjoy the lights, the decorations etc
They're not "against" it.

eddie wrote:I've met and worked with, lots of Muslims, who whilst they may not "celebrate" Christmas in the traditional sense, enjoy the lights, the decorations etc
They're not "against" it.

What has that got to do wth the Sultan fundementally banning Christmas based out of a fear people may convert to Christianity? What is evident in countries that are Muslim majority is their socities through the schools, Mosques, policies and laws are geared up to deny and prevent all other belief systems. This is fundementally wrong.
So there should be no reason why a single Muslim should be against Christimas and not the fact some are not against it.
We in the west respect other customs and beliefs, where again the same cannot be said in Muslim majority nations.
That is problematic  and stems very much around naratives and laws that discrminate other minority groups whether religious or not.

Have an article from a Christian in Brunei, explaining why this was a load of bollocks, but the site is refusing to allow me to post even the link.

It's in TheMalaysianInsider.com and is titled Christmas in Brunei, A Reader's Account.


Basically explaining it only applied to Muslims and Christians were perfectly free to celebrate, including photos from the largest church, St Andrews, and the christmas trees.

Really?
So all the major medias are wrong and you base it being wrong off one person who cannot verify?
Even if that was to be believed its still wrong to deny Muslims participating with Christians.
You need to have reliable sources

I'll take the word of someone who was in the churches celebrating, posted pictures and got the accounts of local people

The Malaysian Insider is a very trusted source, not that you would know of course.


It simply will not allow me to post the link

You can take on board what ever yoi like
It does not disprove the article or even the point on Muslims being banned

Perhaps the thread title should be changed as it is misleading.  Christmas was not banned in Brunei.

http://www.bt.com.bn/news-national/2015/12/26/christians-celebratex%E2%80%99mas-brunei

Christians celebrate X’mas in Brunei

Head of the Catholic Church in Brunei Bishop Cornelius Sim poses for a picture with a Christmas tree made out of recycled materials at the Church of Our Lady Assumption in the capital. Picture: BT/Aaron Wong


Saturday, December 26, 2015
THOUSANDS of Christians celebrated Christmas yesterday in multiple services held in churches across the sultanate.

Head of the Catholic Church in Brunei Bishop Cornelius Sim said about 4,000 out of the 18,000 estimated Catholics in the country attended mass on Christmas Day and the night prior at the Church of Our Lady Assumption (COLA) in the capital, Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception in Seria and St John’s Church in Kuala Belait.

The bishop and an Anglican reverend told The Brunei Times that despite international media outlets reporting a blanket ban on Christmas – which continued to be observed as a public holiday in Brunei this year – neither received a notice restricting celebrations.

“To be quite honest there has been no change for us this year; no new restrictions have been laid down, although we fully respect and adhere to the existing regulations that our celebrations and worship be confided to the compounds of the church and private residences,” said Bishop Sim.
In practice, he said the church has continued its observation of daily dawn services beginning at 4am to 5am and lasting about 45 minutes from December 16 up until Christmas Eve with no restrictions. A social gathering for migrant workers at the COLA church was hosted yesterday evening, mirrored by a similar celebration in Seria.

The bishop also echoed Pope Francis’s address on reconciliation within fractured communities experiencing violence around the world, saying that Brunei was fortunate and in a unique position to have seen unhindered peace and prosperity.



“In my experience, the authorities are respectful and considerate towards other religious communities. In comparison to what is seen elsewhere in the world, we are fortunate to have religious harmony.



“Tolerance is part of our country's constitution and we have always been free to practise our religion,” he said.

He added that the Catholic community, which makes up the majority of the Christian population in Brunei, “were no different” from any other citizen or resident.

Similarly Reverend Johnny Chin of St Andrew’s Church said relationships between the country's Muslims and those from other faiths continue to be positive, with the restrictions on Christmas decorations in public which made headlines last year not diluting the true meaning of Christmas to Christians.

“I guess with regards to Christmas, we have reminded ourselves to remain focused on how Christmas is not just about the music, the decorations and the Santa hats – which have been emphasised – but that has never been what Christmas is about anyway,” he said.

The Brunei Times

Its not misleading as it is publically banned for everyone

Again for the hard of hearing and those who are quite stupid it seemms

Read the original article

It's you that didn't read the article properly otherwise why were you doubting my source as unreliable lol   And why did you post the thread title if you had read it.  Backtracking fast as it's just dawned on you.

Quote me:


Basically explaining it only applied to Muslims and Christians were perfectly free to celebrate, including photos from the largest church, St Andrews, and the christmas trees.

Quote you:

Really?
So all the major medias are wrong and you base it being wrong off one person who cannot verify?

Again sassy is clearly not that bright
The ban is on all public places and just because they have not camped down on this yet, does not mean they are allowed to celebrate Christmas.
As usual in her desepartion to appease wrongs done by Muslims, Sassy fucks up again.

Brunei has banned public celebrations of Christmas, warning that putting up festive decorations or singing carols could threaten the country's Muslim faith.

A tree outside a church also is not public but within the grounds of the property

So again sassy proves why she is not very bright

Do you want to admit you are wrong or have me continue to show up how stupid you are>?

Your headline is:  Sultan of Brunei bans Christmas

If you had read your own article you would have known that was not true, and you would not have questioned what I said.

No I just proved again you are quite the idiot.
Your first link rightly said no decorations up anywhere, which is in keeping with the public ban.
You posgted about a tree within a church.
Which is down to how they wish to apply the law on whether that is public on in privare grounds, which is no doubt the later.

What is the simple fact here from the startr

That public celebrations are banned.


Now if you cannot grasp what that means, in your deserpation to defend dispicable acts, then you really are an idiot

Carry on blah blah blah.  It won't made the slightest difference, it there to be seen, you misled with your title and you hadn't read it or you would not have questioned what I said.

I'll leave you to gabble on to try and save face, not that it can be saved.

There is nothing wrong with the title the telegraph has.
They did ban it publically.
The worst part is you are that desperate to show appalling acts done in Islam in a good light, it utterly backfired on you here

So yes, do move on, as you will save yourself further embarressment

“To be quite honest there has been no change for us this year; no new restrictions have been laid down, although we fully respect and adhere to the existing regulations that our celebrations and worship be confided to the compounds of the church and private residences,” said Bishop Sim.



Or else...!


Hardly free is it..?