This is nice to hear. Muslims are promoting Christmas in England. I hope this leads to better relations between both religions.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/religion_christmas_britain_dc
LONDON (Reuters) - Christian and Muslim Britons joined forces on Monday to tell city officials to stop taking the Christianity out of Christmas, warning them that this fueled right-wing extremism.
They attacked local authorities which used titles like “Winterval” for their Christmas celebrations and avoided using Christian symbols in case they offended minority groups, especially Muslims and Hindus.
The question of how best to integrate Muslims into European society, which has Christian roots but is increasingly secular, has become a burning issue, with Britain playing its part in the debate after years of promoting multiculturalism.
The Christian Muslim Forum, set up by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual head of the Church of England, complained that taking the Christian message out of Christmas played into the hands of right-wing extremists who then accused Muslims of undermining Britain’s Christian culture.
“The desire to secularize religious festivals is in itself offensive to both our communities,” said Dr Ataullah Siddiqui, vice chairman of the forum.
Anglican Bishop of Bolton David Gillett said that when local authorities rename Christmas so as not to offend other religions, their stance “will tend to backfire badly on the Muslim community in particular.”
“We are concerned that those approaches which are based on anti-religious philosophies or a fear of religion are causing alienation in a wide variety of communities and fanning the growth of extremism,” said Gillett, the forum chairman.
“Sadly it is they (Muslims) who get the blame for something they are not saying. And after all, the Koran speaks with honor about Jesus and tells of his birth to Mary, a virgin,” he added.
The threat of radical Islam, rammed home by last year’s London bombings, has led Britain to rethink its traditionally tolerant attitude to ethnic minorities.
The government has launched a debate on whether the policy of not imposing a single British identity on immigrants, and instead promoting multiculturalism, has led to the segregation of minority communities.
The London bombings in July last year prompted much soul-searching over what led four young Muslim Britons to become suicide bombers and kill 52 people.
Many experts fear the focus on Islam could backfire if Britain’s 1.8 million Muslims feel they are under attack.
Religious controversies have often made frontpage news in British papers this year, including Muslim protests over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad,
Pope Benedict’s remarks about Islam and the debate over Muslim women wearing full veils.
Bishop Gillett said: “Following the many controversies through which my Muslim friends have gone this year … I am particularly conscious of wanting to say to them in my Christmas cards and in person – May the peace and blessing of God be with you this Christmas.”