ISLAMTODAY.COM: British Muslim leaders, along with leaders of other minoroty faiths, joined Britain's equality watchdog on Monday in urging Britons to enjoy Christmas without worrying about offending non-Christians.
In the wake of politically correct attempts to play down Christams celebrations in Britain, Muslim leaders voiced their assurances that they are not offended when their fellow Britishs [sic] citizens celebrate Christmas.
Attempts to downgrade the festival include Birmingham's 1998 decision to rename it "Winterval" and the South London borough of Lambeth's "winter lights" of 2004.
The Red Cross banned Christmas decorations from its shops and, in 2003, High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire refused to allow a church to advertise a carol service in a library for fear of offending other religions.
Muslim Council of Britain spokesman Shayk Ibrahim Mogra said "To suggest celebrating Christmas and having decorations offends Muslims is absurd. Why can't we have more nativity scenes in Britain?"
Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, who headed the clarification effort, reflect on media reports of schools scrapping nativity plays and local councils celebrating "Winterval" instead of Christmas, and feared there might an underlying agenda -- to use the Christmas issue to increase inter-religious tensions in Britain." British Muslims Not Offended by Christmas Celebrations >>>
Mark Alexander
