The government of Somalia has issued a ban on Christmas and New Year's celebrations in the Muslim country, saying the festivities "have nothing to do with Islam.""We warn against celebration of Christmas, which is only for Christians," Sheikh Mohamed Kheyrow, director of Somalia's ministry of religion, said on state radio. "This is a matter of faith. The Christmas holiday and its drum beatings have nothing to with Islam."
• Sultan of Brunei bans Christmas 'because it could damage faith of Muslims'
He said the ministry has sent letters to the police, national security intelligence and officials in the capital Mogadishu instructing them to "prevent Christmas celebrations."
The announcement had echoes of Islamist militants al Shabaab, which controlled the capital Mogadishu until 2011. Among their edicts was to ban Christmas celebrations.
It was not immediately clear what prompted the government announcement. Somalia is almost entirely Muslim, but it hosts thousands of African Union (AU) peacekeepers, including from the majority-Christian countries Burundi, Uganda and Kenya.
Re: Somalia joins Brunei by banning Christmas celebrations
That's good. Even some Christians want to ban Christmas as they believe the symbolism is more in worshipping Baal and the sorcerer Nimrods reign and European paganism, a right mongrel mess. The shops start Christmas in October and by December the place is like Disneyland, it drives me nuts.
They give you gifts when you are very young and say Santa Claus came down the chimney and put them under the tree, you believe in Santa Claus and all the rest because you trust your parents to tell the truth. Same as the tooth fairy and then when you get older you find out it is all a lie, they are just making a fool of you. What kind of sick culture is that?
Re: Somalia joins Brunei by banning Christmas celebrations
Kind of decisions increase intolerance between people. How this goes with Islam? Didn´t prophet Muhammad allow the people of the Book freedom to practice their own religions?
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