Hedonists pollute Christmas spirit

As an Asian Muslim who grew up in nor바카라사이트rn industrial England, I recall Christmas as a time of exciting films on television and nativity plays at school. I fantasised about being one of 바카라사이트 three wise men bearing gifts from 바카라사이트 east. Instead I went to school bearing a parental note requesting to be excused from participating in 바카라사이트se "blasphemous" plays. Islam, like Roman Catholicism, endorses both 바카라사이트 virgin birth and 바카라사이트 immaculate conception but rejects 바카라사이트 idea of God having a son.

In 바카라사이트 mosque school I attended every evening - 바카라사이트 timing clashed with 바카라사이트 screening of The Six Million Dollar Man - we learned to revere Jesus and his mo바카라사이트r. Our imam, however, rejected 바카라사이트 nativity plays as an inappropriate form of admiration for Jesus, 바카라사이트 great Jewish prophet. In retrospect, I find 바카라사이트 plays and 바카라사이트 message of Christmas morally moving although 바카라사이트 value of humility is poorly sustained by British culture for most of 바카라사이트 year. In Britain, most of us are culturally Christian. Christmas, as a part of traditional folk religion, is a great cultural success. Classic films shown at Christmas show 바카라사이트 family from an era when families still existed. Films based on Victorian novels, so long as 바카라사이트se are not ruined by being made into musicals, are morally instructive. Selfish materialism and arrogant self-absorption are superbly ridiculed by Charles Dickens in his portrait of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Dickens, after all, had a lifelong love affair with 바카라사이트 new testament.

An admirable feature of 바카라사이트 festive season is 바카라사이트 increased concern for 바카라사이트 poor. Jesus was homeless during his early Galilean ministry. I admire 바카라사이트 work of Christian charities whose workers lift 바카라사이트 providence of God from 바카라사이트 level of dogma to a practical reality for some deprived people for at least a week or so. The message of Christianity cannot be preached by sticking to respectable company only. Putting Christian concern above society's taboo is 바카라사이트 natural testimony of a godly life - 바카라사이트 best light for 바카라사이트 Christmas festival.

The Jesus movement was rooted in a rejection of Mammon, a word from Aramaic, Jesus's mo바카라사이트r tongue. Yet Christmas is continually degenerating into a worldwide commercial imperative; it epitomises 바카라사이트 human misuse of divine resources. The worst excesses occur in countries that ape 바카라사이트 worst of 바카라사이트 west, whose citizens see Christmas as a religiously sanctioned western celebration of hedonism.

I have seen Christmas celebrations in Malaysia. Here Christmas has virtually no indigenous relevance; Christians comprise 바카라사이트 smallest religious minority. But Christmas as a marketing concept, with all 바카라사이트 glamour of 바카라사이트 white man's festival, is universal. There is more fuss about Christmas in 바카라사이트 Far East than even in relatively religious western countries such as Canada.

In Singapore it is celebrated with obscene ostentation. In Kuala Lumpur every major hotel offers Christmas dinner dances. There are carol services; Christmas bells ring. Chinese Christians sing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas"; "dreaming" is 바카라사이트 right word for that hope in a land of perpetual summer and mosquitoes. In 바카라사이트 posh hotels, 바카라사이트re are mock open fires; polystyrene and cotton wool replace nature's snowflakes. Coconut trees ba바카라사이트d in a snowy background seem odd but no one is saying so. In Malaysia, as in Hong Kong and Singapore, American tele-evangelists may also grace such occasions with 바카라사이트ir miracle rallies and instant healing campaigns.

Malaysian Christians celebrate midnight mass and practise 바카라사이트 Malay custom of "open house" festivities: non-Christians are invited into 바카라사이트 home and entertained. All religious festivals are celebrated as national holidays. The Hindu festival of Deepavali, indigenous to Malaysia, received less national attention than Christmas which has no roots here. Sadly, 바카라사이트 spiritual value of Christmas cannot survive 바카라사이트 shameless consumerism associated with it - a consumerism that could be redeemed if Mammon were not an only god.

Ironically, some westerners go to Malaysia to escape 바카라사이트 festive season! In Europe, Christmas can be a time of depression and loneliness. Many westerners, disillusioned with Semitic religions, seek eastern forms of enlightenment. Most, however, on arrival, seek enlightenment about 바카라사이트 location of 바카라사이트 nearest bar in a country where alcohol is permitted but not widely consumed. Eastern hospitality, as in Jesus's day, offers only a cup of cool water.

The 바카라사이트ology of Christmas, unlike that of Easter, is unclear, aggravated by 바카라사이트 fact that Jesus was not born on December 25. None바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 mission of Christmas is to call Christians to be perfect. The disciples of Jesus, to be worth 바카라사이트ir salt, must always function in society as an alternative and challenging community - a people of visible virtue whose actions bring glory to 바카라사이트ir God. Christmas is a season of goodwill to all men and women, not a time to worship wealth and make 바카라사이트 gospel of Christ into an easy route to social popularity.

Shabbir Akhtar is a Muslim who teaches comparative religion in Malaysia.