Salaam
It doesn’t matter if you’re in school, college, Uni or work – Christmas in some shape or form will be in your face.
Maybe secret Santa has been started up. Perhaps you’ve been invited to a Christmas party/dinner. Maybe you’ve began to give/receive cards. Perhaps yourself or others have decorated your class/work place. And I’m pretty sure everyone has experienced Christmas in shops – i.e. songs, gift ideas etc etc
For me personally, this year more than ever before Christmas is very much in my face – that’s cos of where I work.
I’ve helped my class learn their lines for a nativity play. I allowed my assistant to decorate my classroom (I didn’t know if I should have said no?). I’ve started to receive xmas cards. Parents have started to give me presents. I have a class xmas party to look forward to and xmas dinner with the staff.
I’m only going to give a xmas present my assistant (only cos she has helped me out SO much this year). But I know that I’ll feel obliged to give presents back to the teachers who buy me one.
I have not helped my children learn religious xmas songs (some of the songs are incredibly blasphemous). I will not be giving all my class a present each (cos it’ll be too expensive). I have refused to go carolling with members of staff (how dodgy would that look?). And I’m still not sure weather I should give out xmas cards…
I have a Muslim teacher who works with me who doesn’t understand why I have an issue with not drinking a glass of wine with the rest of the staff. After all he doesn’t have a problem with it. And then I have other parents who complain when I accept xmas gifts.
I don’t want to be the sado who makes a fuss. But at the same time, I often wonder how much of what I do is or isn’t compromising my religion…..
How ‘merry’ do you guys get at this time of the year?
Wasalaam
Politically Correct Santa
'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves",
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.
And labor conditions at the north pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!?
The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof-tops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."
And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows:
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose
And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she'd enough of this life,
Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts, why, he'd ne'er had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.
Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot.
Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls. Or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacific.
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.
No baseball, no football...someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.
He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you've got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;
Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere...even you.
So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...
"May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on earth
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane, by those who couldn't hear the music...
smooth... very smooth Funzo
Back in BLACK
Thank you seraph
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane, by those who couldn't hear the music...
not very merry
i dont wanna dress up as Mrs Santa
Does anyone know if its a sin to dress up? quotes from the Qur'an and/or hadeith would be much appreciated so i can show my manager
No not the gum drop buttons! – Gingy
You don't have to make a fuss. Just say what you will and won't do and then stand your ground.
Get your assistant to teach the blasphemous songs whilst you do "paperwork". Give your colleagues a donation to charity in their name. Buy your class a box of Roses or Quality Streets. Say no to the carolling. Send out e-cards. The other Muslim teacher has a problem - who doesn't know Muslims aren't supposed to drink? Tell parents who complain about Xmas presents that they were Eid presents or else be discreet about it. Go to the dinner and leave early - before they start getting drunk and rowdy.
Yeh I do a lot of that anyway. Others teachers teach my class to sing xmas songs. I've refused carolling on the grounds that I cant sing. I'll make a point of 'hiding xmas presents' - although what I do or dont do shouldnt have anything to do with anyone else. And I'm not looking to stay late at any xmas parties.
However. I was just wondering weather how much I DO, do (accept/give xmas cards, eat xmas dinner, attend parties etc) compromises my faith. Whilst I only have a couple of kids in my entire school who are Muslims - their parents are hardcore, and they expect me to do a lot to promote Islam, be a role model and/or protect their kids from the blasphemies of the West.
A question to you guys out there: what has christmas become? it was a christian celebration but in this and the last century its been turned into a money making scheme by big businesses. Are we to blame?
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane, by those who couldn't hear the music...
Ya'ni, there is debate on this issue. I'd do just enough to be civil. They should appreciate that you being a Muslim don't do Christmas. That can't be too difficult for them to understand.
You should distract the parents by telling them there's a Muslim teacher at the school who drinks.
Hey presto, they'll go harass him.
Lol.
Yep. As ever, the voice of reason.
the only thing i enjoy about xmas is the movies and the 2 week break.
Me too, plus boxing day shopping.
The movies aren't even that good anymore.
It peaked at Jurassic Park then went downhill from there.
shopping at xmas time is a nightmare and the sales arnt all that either. the decent stuff never goes down, just the tacky stuff that does.
Its called business techniques, you lure the customers in and hit them hard, remember if its too good to be true, it probably isnt.
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane, by those who couldn't hear the music...
Last boxing day shopping...
Jack Straw had made his comments about the niqaab. I thought how I only ever see about one or two women a month wearing a niqaab - so it can't be that much of an issue about them being a hindrance to community cohesion.
Anyway, I then decided to keep a count of the number of women I saw in niqaabs. I was up to about 9 and then went to the boxing day sales. Honestly, I lost count.
There was even one group of 5 niqaabis, with prams and toddlers in tow, doing the rounds in the Bullring.
Just thought I'd share.
Lol. Small heath is notorious for its Niqabis. You cant miss em.
Counting niqabi's is a cool way to spend time. I do that when I'm there.
brumi land is full of ninjas. when i went i was like :shock: maasha'Allah go sisters, never have i seen that many ninjas in one place.
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane, by those who couldn't hear the music...
I always give out Christmas cards at work, I think it's just a nice kind gesture. I do now make sure though that they are not avertly 'Christian', ie last year it was just a glitter snowman on them with a 'Seasons Greeting' wish.
We always have a Christmas do at work. Last year I just told my manager I wouldn't be going coz there would be alcohol and she just said she understood and left it at that. This year, there have been more questions by more people. I just said the invitation says dinner with drinking and dancing and the last two aren't allowed in my religion. I was told not everyone drinks and not everyone will dance, so I said but that will be the atmosphere and I will feel uncomfortable, maybe we can do something else later, ie go for a meal someday after work. And we've already done that! They asked me to choose the restaurant, so we went to a halal restaurant round where I live, ie what they call 'the ghetto' and it was great. No-one's car got broken into, the food was great and the service even better. They can't wait to do it again "very soon"!
My manager always gives me a present, which I accept, but I don't give any in return, just xmas cards. I do though always take in asian food after each Eid for all the colleagues and they all think they've died and gone to Heaven! When we went out for our halal meal, my manager paid for my meal and wouldn't take no for an answer saying I always bought them in nice food after 'your celebration'. And prob coz the Xmas meal will be paid for all the staff.
I have to say my manager is very understanding and makes things easier for me. In my previous job I used to literally dread this time of year, coz it was just soooo awkward.
I think its a nice gesture to others to atleast give cards to neighbours or people we work with. Maybe even wish them well as Muslims we've got this raw deal where we're seen as uncompromising and unapproachable by non-muslims.
Muslims nowadays dont really do a good job of explaining themselves as well as portraying a better picture than what is depicted in the media. Or atleast thats my opinon.
Back in BLACK
they do that with my sister, they're fascinated with asian culture.
I used to love Christmas when I was young because it meant lots of things all at once, but as time went by it lost its charms. I think the Apostle, St. Paul once said that as we grow up we put away childish things.
But lots of things have happened and I appreciate more than ever that my family, especially my children, are everything. From that perspective I can kind of understand why my parents, my mother especially, were so addicted to buying me so many things for Christmas. It made me happy for just a few seconds and it made her feel like a good parent for making me feel happy. I do not agree with her perspective... there is more to being a parent than just making your child smile all the time. You can also make them look curiously at an object and you know they are learning something, you can make them frown with frustration when you continue to encourage them to do something they did not know they could do, and you can see the surprise on their face when they do it. You can watch them sleeping without a care in the world because they know mom and dad made everything safe.
So I feel like, as a parent, there is more to experience and encourage than just anchoring myself to the familiarity of making them smile. But all of the above have something in common... in order for them to happen you must have your family together. This is not something I've been able to do, I see my wife and children almost never and it will be this way for as long as the foreseeable future cares to reveal itself to me. And the thought of having my family together is the single driving motivation behind everything I do. If I get the opportunity to be with them this Christmas it would be the only Christmas gift that I would need and it would be very special.
The promise, however tentative, of being home for Christmas with them is enough to get me into the Christmas Spirit. So I can see that I've progressed from a Christmas all about me and my toys, to a complete rejection of Christmas and now to one that is all about my family.
d...d...Dave. Is that really you?
WOW!!
Who are you again?
Don't just do something! Stand there.
How can you NOT remember big dave?
Back in BLACK
I asked one of my colleagues the other day why our assistant had decorated her classroom and left mine bare - she told me that she didnt want to offend me ? I told her that tinsel doesnt offend me.
And today in our staff meeting I asked the teachers in my year group if we were doing something on the last day of term. She told me that usually they do 'secret santa' however, this year they werent sure cos they didnt want to offend anyones religious beliefs - Im assuming she was talking about me as I'm the only non christian teacher in our year group.
Its annoying to be tiptoed around.
its annoying but isn't it also flattering (?) that people are trying not to offend you?
the Daily Mail's take on it is Political Correctness Gone Mad™.
My mum asked me yesterday if I would mind if we had turkey when I visit her for Xmas. I explained that 'of course I wouldn't mind' etc and how it was logical to have turkey cos there will be six of us eating dinner (a chicken wouldn't be big enough for us all).
It my job to find a halal turkey though...
Don't just do something! Stand there.
That shouldn't be hard Ya'qub, loads of halal butchers have turkey at this time of the year, we've had it ourselves from our normal local butchers.
It is thoughtful when others are considerate like that, but sometimes extremely uncomfortable. Plus I think there is a clear difference between those two examples of people trying not to offend. Mostly non-Muslims tiptoe around us coz of the way Muslims are portrayed in the media, ie easily offended and ready to lash, and that isn't flattering. My colleagues didn't want to offend me by eating lunch in Ramadan - blimey we're not that bad!
I even had a parent and my assistant ask me if recieving a xmas presents would offend me. I love them all - I suppose it is nice that they take my feelings into consideration.
However, stuff like drinking alcohol, guy teachers wanting to shake hands or joke about IS stuff that offends me but they dont see anything wrong with that.
why don't you ask them to give you Eid presents instead?
Don't just do something! Stand there.
I was reading allahu in one of my lessons and a girl called me immature?
zeb you remember
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane, by those who couldn't hear the music...
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