I see more and more Muslims objecting to getting involved in Christmas in anyway. So recently a friend received a ‘secret santa’ and returned the courtesy. His Muslims friends criticised him for it, also in another case another friend got criticised for attending a work Christmas meal & for sending out Christmas cards!
Are we becoming uneccessarily rigid and isolationist?
Re: Giving/receiving gifts to/from people celebrating Christmas
This is the kind of intolerance the West runs away from and the kind of intolerance that puts misunderstandings and unsubstantiated fear into the hearts of people against Muslims. In a time where Muslims need to make an extra effort to curb Islamophobia, people are showing intolerance. It doesn't make them any different than the Christians or non-Muslims that display intolerance and show bigotry. There's nothing wrong. As long as in your head your concept is clear that Jesus was not the son of God and he wasn't actually born on 25th December, everything is good. As long as you don't say Merry Christmas, it is fine.
I choose to say Happy Holidays instead and my Christian friends know that. They never force me to return the greeting, they always say Happy Holidays too. I see Christmas as just another holiday time period, commercialised as hell, where friends gift each other, go out, eat and have a good time. There's nothing wrong in that. I have sent out Secret Santa presents from the past 3 years now and I love doing that. It is FUN. I have sent out Christmas cards too.
If people have a big problem living in the West and being part of the practices that are prevalent in that part of the world, instead of creating differences, hatred, intolerance etc, they should move out. If you are part of the West, living in a land that is not a Muslim land, you have to assimilate to a certain extent. If you don't, you are just going to create issues and problems for yourself & the rest of the Muslims.
Re: Giving/receiving gifts to/from people celebrating Christmas
Happy Mawlid un Nabi to everyone :)
Re: Giving/receiving gifts to/from people celebrating Christmas
Christmas is now a cultural holiday rather than a religious one anyways.