Posted on 12/07/2004 7:28:32 PM PST by naturalman1975
IT was one of those extremely rare moments when I found myself agreeing with John Howard. Asked what he thought of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore's reported plans to make Sydney's Christmas celebrations low-key and generic, the Prime Minister slammed them as "silly", "ridiculous" and "political correctness from central casting".
Out of sensitivity for a multicultural society, Moore was reported to have said she did not want the celebrations "to push any one religious belief".
In fact, Moore had said nothing of the sort. Quite the contrary: the council is increasing its Christmas celebration spending this year by 50per cent. The words were spoken by Jeff Fisher, chief executive of fast-food chain Oporto following news that the chain had banned a nativity display from its franchise in Hornsby in northern Sydney. Media had put the words in the wrong mouth, but Howard's assessment of them remained true.
Every Christmas it seems we go through this farce. Last year, Stonnington Council in Melbourne removed the word Christmas from its celebrations and prevented speakers at a carols night from quoting the Bible. Some kindergartens and daycare centres have stopped having Christmas parties, instead having end-of-year or fairy parties.
All this, it seems, is being done to include Australia's religious and cultural minorities. This is supposed to foster social harmony and tolerance.
But it doesn't. It does exactly the opposite. When Channel Seven's Sunrise recently ran an interactive segment on the issue, a common theme in the responses of viewers legitimately aggrieved by this emasculation of Christmas was anger towards minority groups -- especially Muslims -- who were cast as cultural warriors against the majority.
Muslims may not celebrate Christmas but it is ridiculous to suspect they are behind this absurd trend. Jesus is a revered, prophetic figure in Islam and, accordingly, we are the least likely to be offended by other religious groups celebrating his birth. An anti-Christmas campaign is more consistent with aggressive atheism than any Islamic imperative.
In fact, I know no member of any religious minority, Muslim or otherwise, who asked for or even wants this. In my experience, religious minorities are far more concerned that their right to religious expression is respected and protected. That, surely, is a right belonging no less to the majority than to minorities.
Driving Christmas underground only erodes this treasured Australian norm and that is far more troubling to me than any Christmas celebration. I find the idea of restraining religious expression substantially more offensive than I find any nativity display. The impoverishment of Christmas is done more on behalf of religious minorities than by them.
This is where political correctness loses the plot; what purports to inspire tolerance instead inspires hostility and intolerance. Diverse, vibrant and tolerant societies are created by allowing eclectic cultural and religious expressions, celebrations included, to flourish. You don't achieve that by surrendering a culture, replacing it with bland meaninglessness.
Denying the Christianity in Christmas or, worse, doing away with it altogether helps no one. This is not multiculturalism. It is anti-culturalism.
Waleed Aly, a Melbourne lawyer, is a member of the Islamic Council of Victoria executive.
Both atheists and Muslims are absolutely anti-Christmas and anti-Christian. Read more here.
There is a whole bunch of child sex slaves...Christian children in the Sudan...raped and tortured and murdered for not denying their Christian faith and swearing oaths to Islam
that might disagree with you....
Sorry Waleed, I'm not buying it..we had no problem with Christmas in our town grade school (along with a nice menorah for the Jewish students) and everyone was happy, no complaints, not even from aetheists. It wasn't until the influx of muslims into our community combined with post-9/11 hypersensitivity that we have had to cut out Christmas songs and include Ramadan in the "Winter Concert". This is bullsh-t spin and it don't fly.
I think it means kiss your infidel ass goodbye.
Technically, I'm an atheist, and I know other atheists, too. We all celebrate Christmas complete with trees, lights, gifts, and so on, and maybe even mass (though we're there more as tourists than anything else). Many are married to believers and sit in church with their wives or husbands every Sunday (though they probably wish they didn't have to). Atheist organizations have a hard time getting us all to join.
Stop putting us in the same category with terrorists. We're not the ones slamming planes into buildings or putting Christians in prison in the Middle East. We're also usually not the ones bringing lawsuits (though it may seem otherwise). Many lawsuits against gov't-funded religious displays etc. have been brought by Mormons, Catholics, and Jews.
"Muslims are absolutely anti-Christmas"
The author is muslim. He ought to know if he finds Christmas offensive. And he doesn't.
This atheist or near atheist is not anti-Christian. I think the religion is a huge net plus on this planet. One size does not fit all. Broad brush stokes typically generate more heat than light.
"..we had no problem with Christmas in our town grade school ....until the influx of muslims into our community combined with post-9/11 hypersensitivity that we have had to cut out Christmas songs ..."
Ever think maybe it's the PC Left that's causing the problems? That's what the author and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore are trying to point out.
Fancy meeting you here. :) I have always enjoyed and participated in, the pagan aspects of the Christmas holiday.
And Muslims never lie. And don't forget that Islam is a religion of peace! Fnord.
So, your assumption is that he's a liar, because he's muslim.... Is that your assumption about all muslims?
The pc left has aligned itself directly with radical islam. The distinctions between the two groups have been decidedly blurred over the past few years, and they share many similar objectives. And though this man is a muslim, that does not mean he speaks for all muslims. Sorry, this dog just doesn't bark and the whole article smacks of a smokescreen. I don't trust it, and I don't trust the author's motives.
My wild guess is that Islam is more favorable to Christ than to Christians. Christ was the wise man precusor to the even more perfect vision of Mohammed, and Christ's followers have a character flaw in not embracing the more perfect vision.
The Koran has verses that support lying to infidels, (no, I don't have the passages) and that view has been endorsed by mullahs of radical islam around the world. Yes, they lie. And yes, it is part of their religion as interpreted by their own religious leaders.
"My wild guess is that Islam is more favorable to Christ than to Christians."
Of course. People here seem to be missing that distinction.
That's the point that trying to be made.
"that view has been endorsed by mullahs of radical islam around the world."
So, you just assume that the author is some sort of radical and liar because he's muslim?
Put it this way. I view him with a jaundiced eye. Because of the practice called "Taqiyyah". It means that a Muslim will never be truthful to the law enforcement or anyone when such truth will convict a fellow Muslim. Taqiyyah is practiced extensively my Islamists at all levels. Simply they will lie to a non-Muslim."Muhammad said "War is deceit"
Qur’an 66:1 “Allah has already sanctioned for you the dissolution of your vows.”
Bukhari:V4B52N268 “Allah’s Apostle said, ‘War is deceit.’”
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