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Thank you for a lovely article.
I am not christian my self, but my family have decided to celebrate Christmas our way. We put up a tree, decorate the huose with lights and stars and share a lovely meal on Christmas Eve. Then we exchange gifts. We don't go to church, we don't sing hymns. I think thats the great part of starting your own family. The ability to pick and choose which traditions you will make for your family. My friends who is muslim, does the same. Only when they exchange gifts they talk about whet the Qur'an says about the prophet Jesus.
PS: Even in Europe, there was a festival of lights midwinter long, long, before the christians turned it into their holiday at the churchmeeting in Nicea in 325 BC.
posted by : Oslomom on 12/19/2008 at 5:15 AM Flag For Abuse
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Thank you for writing such an insightful and interesting article. I would like to note, though, that Christmas is not devoid of any spiritual associations at this point...for most Christians, it is still a really meaningful celebration of the birth of Jesus. It's also about (hopefully) spending time with loved ones, giving gifts that make other people happy, etc. I have heard a lot about the "excesses" and commercialization of the holiday, but I just want to point out that being excessive is a personal decision, and it isn't something my family or I have ever experienced. We give each other gifts, but none of us have ever had the funds to go crazy (so we usually stick to one or two comparatively inexpensive gifts - $30 or less - per person). So it is still a really special religious holiday for us, with gifts, Santa, the tree, etc. I'll be celebrating Christmas this year with my Hindu in-laws, complete with tree, big dinner, and all of the spiritual observance that I enjoy so much both now and throughout the year. They have usually observed Christmas, but are making an extra effort this year for me...which I really, really appreciate! So - Christmas can be a lot of things for a lot of people, but its religious meaning certainly hasn't disappeared.
posted by : SJP on 12/19/2008 at 6:51 AM Flag For Abuse
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This is a very insightful piece and I am glad we are hearing from a muslim perspective--a very rare, but needed, voice in the media.
posted by : NeedToHearFromMoreMuslims on 12/19/2008 at 10:54 AM Flag For Abuse
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I found the author's tone slightly condescending...am I alone here?
posted by : Venice Beach Mom on 12/19/2008 at 12:29 PM Flag For Abuse
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Venice Beach Mom,
Yes.
posted by : you are wrong on 12/19/2008 at 12:35 PM Flag For Abuse
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Lovely article! I was raised Christian, but attended preschool at the temple near our home. I made dradels and danced the Horah. My family had a menorah on the mantel next to the Christmas tree, and decorations for Kwanzaa. I found non of this contradictory, only respectful and enlightening. I have a very strong sense of identity for who I am and what I believe, and a huge amount of knowledge and fondness for what others believe. My husband and I are planning on raising our children in a similar manner.
posted by : eringremlin on 12/19/2008 at 12:41 PM Flag For Abuse
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I didn't find the author condescending.
I would add that Christmas TREES are pagan, no?
My husband and I are trying to figure out how we're going to deal with the Santa story. We don't want to perpetrate it. We're thinking we will tell a bunch of stories about how people from various other cultures celebrate their different holidays, and Santa will be one of many...
posted by : keepityourway on 12/19/2008 at 1:37 PM Flag For Abuse
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Message to the author ... do whatever you want regarding a tree or not buying a tree ... buying a gift or not buying a gift ... but if you grew up for several years with a Christmas tree in your home and gift-giving and you aren't scarred then why not do the same thing for your son and he won't be scarred either ... and still know that you are Muslim. I don't really get a sense that your Muslim-ness is being compromised in any way ...
But ... there can be other things you can do on Dec. 25 and volunteer in a soup kitchen, exchange gifts, spend time with each other as a family eating Chinese (or whatever) and/or go to the mosque together or another day that week perhaps Friday?
I am Christian and my husband is Muslim (he doesn't like in the U.S.) and my son goes to church school/church/whole nine yards. While I am open to doing things for Eid in the future, Christmas is perhaps the most important holiday of the year and one that all Christian kids have a fond memory of and I want my child to have a Christmas and Christmas tree memories.
As a Christian, I cannot separate the religious significance (as you do) from the family and together-ness time of Dec. 25th, but don't have any problem if you can get something out of celebrating that day in your own way.
I remember reading an essay similar to yours about a Jewish and Christian couple and the Jewish man said that there would be no Christmas trees in their home and she wrote about it ... and it seems very sad to me ... since it really was about nice memories the author herself will not be able to give to her kids.
At the end of the day, especially since you are not Christian, I think the point isn't to get wrapped up about having a tree or not but to find holiday and/or pluralistic traditions that will fill your children and your home with happy memories and good times, good company and good food etc.
I think the piece was really interesting and I enjoyed reading it.
Thank you!
posted by : anonnycmom on 12/19/2008 at 1:39 PM Flag For Abuse
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Correction:
My husband likes the U.S., just doesn't live here.
Sentence should read:
I am Christian and my husband is Muslim (he doesn't live in the U.S.) and my son goes to church school/church/whole nine yards.
posted by : anonnycmom on 12/19/2008 at 1:40 PM Flag For Abuse
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I guess I'm confused on wny your son even attends a Christian school if you and your husband don't believe what they teach. Aren't there other secular or Muslim schools he could attend?
posted by : curious mom on 12/19/2008 at 1:48 PM Flag For Abuse
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Loved this. I'm a Christian and I loathe the commercialism of Christmas so much that I would gladly skip the whole thing. I don't tell my kids there is a Santa, and I don't want them associating a religious holiday with shopping. People act like I'm evil for this, but I just want my children to remember Christmas as a warm and cozy family time with special food and music and joyful traditions at church, not with a bunch of plastic crap.
posted by : Shannon LC Cate on 12/19/2008 at 2:22 PM Flag For Abuse
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Curious mom: It can be difficult to find a non Christian preschool (let alone secular), especially in the South. I live in the suburbs near DC and the closest secular preschool to my house is 30 minutes away. We probably have a much larger Muslim population than Atlanta does and I've yet to see a preschool for Muslim kids.
I am not comfortable allowing our son to attend a religious preschool. I was raised as an agnostic in the Bible Belt and my experiences with overzealous classmates make me feel sick at the thought of sending my child to a place where he will be the unbeliever who needs to be saved.
posted by : CaitlinOh on 12/19/2008 at 2:39 PM Flag For Abuse
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KeepItYourWay's got it. The Evergreen goes back before Christianity in that people would bring them into their homes to celebrate life in the dead of winter.
Alot of Christmas rituals where Pegan, in order to convert them, Christians adoped pagen rituals to celebrate Christian beliefs.
So really, the tree can symbolize whatever you want it to.
posted by : Linn on 12/19/2008 at 2:56 PM Flag For Abuse
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Yeah, I guess I am also a little perplexed at the angst about celebrating Christmas, yet no concern about having a child in a Christian pre-school. Do the teachers not know that your family is Muslim? If attending Christian pre-school regardless of your faith is commonplace because there's nothing else secular, then I guess I'd take it for granted the teachers would understand not all kids there are celebrating Christmas. Having your child there doesn't seem to make any sense to me. I was raised Greek Orthodox and am now Agnostic and I can't imagine my son coming home saying "Jesus is love." That would weird me out.
posted by : paulahess on 12/19/2008 at 3:03 PM Flag For Abuse
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An interesting article, and the author raises good questions. From my perspective, I don't see why you can't have a tree and presents, and explain to your son that you are celebrating family instead of a particular person, and that different people celebrate different things during the holidays. Your own tree experience as a child didn't seem to warp you.
As for the Christian preschool, though, there's a saying: As the twig is bent, so grows the tree. It's not really fair to your son to have him get the specifically Christian point of view for several hours a day, and then come home and tell him it's all hooey. My parents tried to raise us in a completely secular way, and never mentioned religion of any kind or went to any church. My little "friends" in grade school were oh-so-happy to tell me on a regular basis what a bad person I was because we did not attend any church, and that I was definitely going to Hell where I would burn for all eternity. When you're seven, this is scary news.... Anyway, I would think not twice but half a dozen times before placing your son in a religous atmosphere that is antithetical to yours all day, every day. It's not fair to him.
posted by : More Anon on 12/19/2008 at 3:53 PM Flag For Abuse
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I think celebrating Christmas as a non-religious holiday, and its commercialization go hand-in-hand. For christians, they can focus on the religious ceremonies, and skip the insane consumption part. But for non-christians, what are they going to do except buy and eat stuff?
I am not a christian, and visited a relative with kids last winter. They decided to celebrate the non-religious part of the holiday for their kids -- and it basically meant attending half a dozen similar christmas parties, where kids got overloaded with pizza, candy and gifts. The whole holiday would have been better spent doing some creative family activities or sleeping.
posted by : IsItNecessary on 12/19/2008 at 4:45 PM Flag For Abuse
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Perhaps the greatest insult is the one to my personal rights for religious belief. Your insertion that Christmas is ‘devoid of any religious associations ‘shows your lack of empathy for any culture/religion other than your own. My spouse does NOT come from Iran or any other country that sponsors terrorism. Instead, we are both respectful of your beliefs and culture as spelled out in the constitution of our forefathers.
However, how can anyone respect a culture that still endorses capital punishment for crimes that disrespect Mohammed due to their own deep seated religious beliefs, respects fascist neo-Nazis, denies the holocaust and endorses polygamy? These as just a few of the disrespectful and hateful ideologies currently accepted as the “norm” by your culture. You only respect your beliefs without regard to anyone else’s.
How about this, you keep your derogatory remarks to yourself and I’ll not point out how Amnesty International has thousands for request for humanitarian release of tortured people from your husband’s country by your perverted religion.
posted by : PhilMccraken on 12/20/2008 at 12:56 PM Flag For Abuse
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WOW PHILMCCRACKEN - You are really a small minded a...hole that has no real understanding of most of the topics you so haughtily mention. For state sponsored terrorism look no further than our own White House and for perverted religion look at our own President and the religious right who pushed us into a "Holy war" waged on a country who never did anything to us.
You know NOTHING of Arabic or Muslim culture and it's quite clear that you probably have never traveled and became a part of a place where everyone didn't look or think like you. So very sorry for you that your view of the world and the many people in it is so narrow and false.
posted by : Elphaba on 12/20/2008 at 3:53 PM Flag For Abuse
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Well, we are Muslim and my childhood experience was very much like the author's. The danger in it is that coupled with secular parents who are NOT practicing or observant this leads to a real identity crisis in the child - it happened to me and it happened to my sister and so many other people we know. The bottom line is this is not our faith, we have our own holy days and that is what we are to focus on and maintain our own religious integrity. This experience of having first generation parents and having this as hindsight has given me the wisdom of how to approach this for my own children and not to make the mistake of my parents.
Our family is split - 1/2 Muslim, 1/2 Christian. My kids know they are Muslim and my friends and I realize that we have to do Ramadan and Eids big and meaningful for our own children - because they will otherwise never feel the full joy of it as in a predominantly Muslim country. We have all decided to start our own unique traditions with our kids so they do not have to envy others.
The fact is for any non Christian child - Christmas is an eclipsing event, it's big, beautiful, merry and joyful - and I encourage my children to acknowledge and be happy for our friends/family who are Christian in this season. We send cards, buy gifts, and wish them a happy Christmas - BUT the boys understand that this holiday does not belong to us. This also sends a signal to our friends to respect what WE believe as we respect what THEY believe. We have our own holy days that have their special significance and that is the beauty of the world and all its different peoples.
posted by : oompaloompa on 12/20/2008 at 4:12 PM Flag For Abuse
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WOW Elphaba, is it that hard for you to understand you have your views, I have mine... and much like so many other topics: keep your opinion to yourself.
posted by : PhilMccraken on 12/20/2008 at 5:21 PM Flag For Abuse
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I find your views and your way of expressing your ignorant disdain for my faith and my culture repugnant - so as YOU can't keep your vile and hateful opinions to YOURSELF, sir - why should you expect that no one else call you on it??
posted by : elphaba on 12/20/2008 at 8:21 PM Flag For Abuse
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I concur with Elphaba. The author wrote a provoking essay about the contradictions faced by religious minorities in this country, but her message was one of tolerance. I didn't read anything negative in the essay directed towards Christians. Why are you so defensive, McCracken? You need to stop watching Bill O'Reilly and his "Assault on Christmas" brigade on Fox News and understand the author's message instead of seizing an opportunity to bash Muslims. You are attacking the author for being married to an Iranian? Really?!? I am scratching my head...
posted by : McCracken Is on Crack on 12/20/2008 at 9:19 PM Flag For Abuse
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I can understand the author's feelings. However a Christmas tree is not religious. It comes from a German pagan tradition, the same with the Christmas colors. So exchanging gifts or putting up a tree is by no means celebrating a holiday based on the birth of Christ, but instead celebrating the rising of the son after the Solstice, a astrological, not religious event.
posted by : dhsredhead on 12/21/2008 at 1:18 AM Flag For Abuse
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PhilMccraken, the thing of it is, when you post your own opinion in a public discussion board? You can pretty much expect that other people are going to chime in with rebuttals and with what the majority of us call "logic." That's how it works. If you want people to keep those opinions to themselves? Then your best bet is shutting your yap and keeping your thoughts to yourself, especially if those thoughts are of the "WE ROXSORS YOU SUCKSORS" variety.
Elphaba is right. We "Christian" Americans don't have anything to crow about at this particular point in history. Pointing our fingers and shrieking about wrongdoings in other cultures just makes us look even worse.
posted by : Motherof3 on 12/21/2008 at 1:36 AM Flag For Abuse
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good article
posted by : shahir raslan on 12/21/2008 at 7:59 AM Flag For Abuse
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i like your common sense in reaching a good solution
first it was confusing but you thought (using logic), then you
asked and finally you made up your mind . may allah reward you for
reading our minds and talking about our thoughts.
you know you have to teach your son that muslims do not celebrate
santa and you are doing that without insulting those who do.
thank god your son will wish others happy holidays rather than
put them down. keep it up and know that the best thig to learn
in your article (in my opinion) that your sister at 16 decided
to put an end to that.
like your mom and your sister you will make that decision ,remember that the fruit
does not fall far from the tree.
may allah bless you and your (palestinian iranian american muslim lovely son) .
posted by : shahir raslan on 12/21/2008 at 8:20 AM Flag For Abuse
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I was raised a Roman Catholic, but converted to Islam in my early 20s. I remember believing in Santa and celebrating Christmas. However when I chose another path for my life I realized that was no longer my holiday. Amongst a family full of Catholics I respect their holidays but yet fight for them to respet mine. My daughter doesn't attend a Christian school but instead a public one. She wears hijab even when none of the other Muslim girls at her school do. She is proud of her Muslim identity and looks forward to both Eids just as her friends look forward to Christmas. We do our best to make Eid as fun for her as possible and have created our own traditions, but yet we avoid trying to compete with the glitz and glitter of Christmas. We don't feel the need to.
I guess I'm a bit confused at the writer's stress over Santa and a few gifts but yet seeming to have no problem with her child attending a Christian preschool and attending their religious services. To me that would be worse than hanging up a few lights and giving some gifts.
posted by : Muslim American Convert on 12/21/2008 at 8:49 AM Flag For Abuse
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Explaining to your child the difference between Muslin and Christianity is rather simply.....you sit down with him/her and explain it at the level of their age. Answer their questions until they understand at their level of understanding. Make it simple and clear.
If you are Muslin and you and your husband wish your child to be then raise him/her Muslin. America is great that way....it allows you to do just that.
I am a bit confused over the issue you have between Christmas, tree, and gifts and yet send your child to a Christian preschool. If you think about it that would seem even more confusing to the child...not knowing which religion is theirs. Sound almost like you can't choose between your own religions.
posted by : babyowl on 12/21/2008 at 9:11 AM Flag For Abuse
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Well honestly - we also send our child to a Christian school because it simply is one of the best private schools in our area, although at his level there is no religious education. They have been quite wonderful and accepting. His teachers always invite me to come in and give a Ramadan program for the children, I send them sweets and cakes at the start of Ramadan and on our Eids, and we all wish each other joy and happiness for our respective holidays. I think my efforts on behalf of my son has gone a long way to promote understanding of so much that is similar and respect for what is different in our faiths and it did wonders for my son in developing his identity and self esteem.
The idea of sending a Muslim child to Christian school is really kind of moot since most non-Christian children are definitely in the minority at almost every public school in America. I know I was the only one - all the way through high school. It was college before I ever saw another Muslim.
posted by : oompaloompa on 12/21/2008 at 1:14 PM Flag For Abuse
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My point above was to say that even in public school the culture is still a predominantly Christian one - when celebrating Halloween, Easter, Christmas - it's really off the chain. All of these things, coupled with decorations, making cards, ornaments, bunnies, writing letters to Santa - all that stuff that kids do in public school that is associated with these holidays is something Muslim and Jewish kids simply don't do and feel keenly like the odd man out.
posted by : oompaloompa on 12/21/2008 at 1:20 PM Flag For Abuse
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I am a hindu and was raised in india by secular parents but I live and raise my kids in this country now. The author of this article puzzles me a little with her logic. I can understand that Christmas seems to have a life of its own and can take over every other holiday be it Diwali (for us) or Eid or Hanukkah....after all there is no santa claus and gifts and long school breaks for our holidays! BUT we live in this country and unless you want to live in a commune somewhere your kids are exposed and will ask and want to participate. And you choose to send them to a christian schoo! Now as a hindu family we do not go to church but we put up a tree and we bake cookies bc our neighbors bake for us and it would be rude not to reciprocate and also bc ITS SO MUCH FUN! A lot of Christmas is fun. Making a snowman craft is fun. My son playing carols as part of the violin orchestra at the local church is a fun opportunity. Decorating cookies is fun. We give very few gifts to each other on christmas day...kids get something but our celebration of Christmas is more about family and having fun with the larger community. I do as much for Diwali as I do for Christmas...it makes it crazier for me but my kids get to see a lot of different perpectives. They ask questions, we answer and they never feel out of place nor do they feel they have to justify where they come from. This last is the most important thing for me. My kids are proud to be indian and what is means...they are proud to be americans and they are being raised to know that if they participate in someone else culture be it american or jewish (one of my kids attended a jewish preschool for a year) there is no shame, no harm and to enjoy the experience as a learning experience.
I have lived in muslim countries and have had many friends who are muslim who have backgrounds similar to the author of this piece. My conclusion after many years of talking and hearing this type of thing experessed in this piece is that many of them are latently insecure about how they are perceived by fellow muslims....am I being muslim enough and our my kids being raised to be good muslims. and they perceive the world to be hostile to them and their beliefs so feel a greater need to defend themselves even from thinking for themselves. This in my opinion is the great pity. Again as a thinking person I would never allow my religion to overtake common sense but that is me.
posted by : rationalmom on 12/21/2008 at 6:34 PM Flag For Abuse
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Dear Rational Mom - I appreciate your post but I do take exception to your statement that "there is a greater need to defend themselves even from thinking for themselves...again as a thinking person I would never allow my religion to overtake common sense but that is me." That's rather an interesting put-down.
Christmas IS a lovely holiday and all that comes with it is fun - but the reality is it's NOT a Muslim holiday (or Jewish for that matter) and it IS a religious holiday. I feel no need to compromise the integrity of my faith or to celebrate what is really a Christian holiday in order to feel "normal". Understanding and appreciating a thing is very different than participating and celebrating it. I find this very rooted not only in common sense but the ideals one professes to have - and I am not just speaking about Christmas.
There are SOME things that should not be compromised just because it's the path of least resistance or "fun" - there is great beauty and much to be appreciated on the "road less traveled". This hardly makes me a senseless automaton as you infer- which I find an intereting irony to your own practices during this season.
So I THINK the person who is willing to stand alone on the strength of his belief is truly being an individual rather than the person who does what everyone is doing simply because it's "fun" - but that's just me.
Although, I identify deeply with the author she sounds like she has a pretty non-observant Muslim family life.
posted by : oompaloompa on 12/21/2008 at 8:33 PM Flag For Abuse
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Well Rational Mom - gotta agree with OompaLoompa - you did sound pretty condescending. I also find it interesting that many Hindus I know do the whole Christmas thing. As a Jew - that's also a big no no for us, too.
posted by : backatcha on 12/22/2008 at 4:33 AM Flag For Abuse
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Hadeel, I just read your article on Christmas trees and giving gifts and I thought it was great. Your cousin sent it to me with the title "is this too liberal?" in the heading, which I also found interesting. (too liberal for who- isn't this a country of free speech and thought?)... Congratulations for being able to say what you think even though you know many of our family members, and muslim associates will disagree with you. Raising my own kids, I have come across many of the same questions and as they start to become teenagers, a whole new set of questions comes up. My husband was born overseas, but I was born in the US, so sometimes we do see things from a different cultural perspective. I see nothing wrong with your thoughts. After all, its a big world, filled with many different kinds of people, and children need to be able to feel that there is nothing wrong with adopting some of the traditions of the culture of the country you are born and raised in. It doesn't mean you have to renounce your religion. It just means that kids can learn to appreciate a holiday that is supposed to be about giving to others and spending time with family and friends.
posted by : Agreeing in Ohio on 12/22/2008 at 10:24 AM Flag For Abuse
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I am Jewish and I completely sympathize with the author's experience. We send our children to a Christian school because it is the best school academically, but before that we had them in public school. We didn't find much difference between the two schools with respect to Christmas. In both schools, the kids made Christmas artwork, talked about Santa, had christmas plays, etc. Christmas is a very overwhelming holiday in the month of December--there is no getting around it, even in a "secular" environment. So children of religious minorities are often seduced by the gifts, lights, stories and christmas activities and it is hard to explain to a young child that they cannot partake in the activities and celebrations of their friends. It is problematic to those of us who wish to stick to our religious identities because although Christmas trees/date have pagan roots, it is a Christian holiday. I think the author has a great attitude. She just went and bought her child a toy without making a fuss about it. My guess is that she thinks that her child will realize on his own that Christmas is not a holiday Muslims celebrate and just drop it when he gets older. That's what happened with my kids. Now they completely understand they are Jewish and that we celebrate different holidays.
posted by : Jewish Mom on 12/22/2008 at 11:26 AM Flag For Abuse
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Why does it matter that the tree or the date of the holiday has pagan roots? Is it any better for me to forsake my traditions and beliefs to celebrate a holiday with pagan roots?
I wish the those who are Christian by heritage or faith would just let me be. I don't feel left out. I'm not to be pitied.
Why can't people just let me be Jewish without trying to convince me at every Christmas party I attend that trees aren't really Christian and Christmas is a secular holiday? The conclusion of this argument is always unspoken.
The Conclusion: They want me to do Christmas right. Put up a secular tree and celebrate with all the trimmings that are deemed essential to enjoy the season.
And that means I must give up a way of life that has evolved over four thousand years, just so they can stop pitying me for being born and raised as Jew.
I don't want to put up decorations or a tree or have a big turkey dinner (much less a ham) on Christmas. Many of my people were true to our traditions during centuries of oppression, surely I can go without a decorated plastic (or dead) tree during the month of December. I'm ok with this.
I have enough traditions, I don't need Christian (or pagan or secular) traditions that are supposed to celebrate the birth (or death) of someone I don't believe exsisted.
It would be easier to enjoy the season if everyone would stop pushing my family to adopt strange traditions that have nothing to do with who we are.
And then of course there's always the lip service about how they want to celebrate my holidays too. But no one ever remembers that when Purim comes around.
When my child is old enough to understand, I'm telling him the truth.
Yes, Reuven, there is no Santa Claus.
posted by : Maybe June on 12/22/2008 at 1:01 PM Flag For Abuse
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This is coming from way far left or right field...but I'm seeing a lot of parents stating they are sending their children to private, Christian schools because "they are better". Has anyone stopped and thought how bad that sounds. Meaning you're willing to spend the money to send them to private school, yet are you not willing to spend the money to help/insist on making public ones as good?
And I read "rationalmom's" reply twice and saw nothing condescending about it. She was simply giving her conclusion on her observation of several years...... after many years of talking and hearing this type of thing experessed in this piece is that many of them are latently insecure about how they are perceived by fellow muslims.... .... there is a greater need to defend themselves even from thinking for themselves...again as a thinking person I would never allow my religion to overtake common sense but that is me"....... I believe she was referring to her conclusion of others in various Muslin countries who are her friends.
posted by : babyowl on 12/22/2008 at 2:46 PM Flag For Abuse
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Wow, good job on allowing cousins to raise your son and guide him in his religious beliefs. Avoid the whole problem by letting someone else do the dirty work, no?
Regardless of what you claim, Christmas is for many people very much a religious holiday and your saying it isn't in a attempt to rationalize your actions is actually rather offensive.
Frankly, seeing as how your son attends a Baptist school and is being taught Christianity every single day, I don't see why you are concerned about Christmas at all. Ultimately Christmas is only one day a year. Why aren't you more concerned about what he is being taught the rest of the time? Oh, yes, some have jumped in with the whole "good school" nonsense, but honestly if you are really a believer of your faith how can having your son go to a school that teaches him to beleive something else make it "good" at all. Regardless of what goes on at the school academically, they are teaching him to go against what you claim is your faith. Call it "brainwashing" is you want, but you are the one who made the decision to send him there, knowing what would be taught at the school I am sure. But, yet, you are perplexed as to how to deal with Christmas? Why your husband views a Christmas tree as "selling out" but sending him to that school isn't is beyond me.
It is rather simple really. Decide what you believe then live it, even if it is tough. Yes, I am sure it is hard being a minority in your community, especially for a child, but if you only want to pick and choose what to believe as it suits you then what is the problem really? .
posted by : lookatthebigpicture on 12/24/2008 at 9:53 PM Flag For Abuse
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Didn't the author say that Muslims are taught to respect Jesus as one of God's prophets? I see no harm in sending the child to a Christian preschool.
posted by : Jenny30582984 on 12/28/2008 at 1:55 PM Flag For Abuse
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If we look at every different religion and look at the essence of those religions, isn't the basic belief to get along with your fellow man. To treat others the way you want to be treated. I grew up going to christian schools, but I was born Jewish. Until this day I respect both religions equally. For that matter I respect most religions. I believe the strength of a religion is not defined by how different it is from another but by the common things all religions embrace.
This holiday season, I will actually make an effort to celebrate Kwanzaa, Christmas, chanukah, Eid ul-Fitr ( I wish I could celebrate the complete fasting period, but it would coincide with other celebrations) and even the Norse and Germanic Pagan Yule.
We can't question why people believe one religion is better than another nor can we question why people will disagree about religious believes, but we can respect their faith.
posted by : Michel on 10/27/2009 at 8:43 AM Flag For Abuse
