Posted on 12/07/2004 7:28:32 PM PST by naturalman1975
IT was one of those extremely rare moments when I found myself agreeing with John Howard. Asked what he thought of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore's reported plans to make Sydney's Christmas celebrations low-key and generic, the Prime Minister slammed them as "silly", "ridiculous" and "political correctness from central casting".
Out of sensitivity for a multicultural society, Moore was reported to have said she did not want the celebrations "to push any one religious belief".
In fact, Moore had said nothing of the sort. Quite the contrary: the council is increasing its Christmas celebration spending this year by 50per cent. The words were spoken by Jeff Fisher, chief executive of fast-food chain Oporto following news that the chain had banned a nativity display from its franchise in Hornsby in northern Sydney. Media had put the words in the wrong mouth, but Howard's assessment of them remained true.
Every Christmas it seems we go through this farce. Last year, Stonnington Council in Melbourne removed the word Christmas from its celebrations and prevented speakers at a carols night from quoting the Bible. Some kindergartens and daycare centres have stopped having Christmas parties, instead having end-of-year or fairy parties.
All this, it seems, is being done to include Australia's religious and cultural minorities. This is supposed to foster social harmony and tolerance.
But it doesn't. It does exactly the opposite. When Channel Seven's Sunrise recently ran an interactive segment on the issue, a common theme in the responses of viewers legitimately aggrieved by this emasculation of Christmas was anger towards minority groups -- especially Muslims -- who were cast as cultural warriors against the majority.
Muslims may not celebrate Christmas but it is ridiculous to suspect they are behind this absurd trend. Jesus is a revered, prophetic figure in Islam and, accordingly, we are the least likely to be offended by other religious groups celebrating his birth. An anti-Christmas campaign is more consistent with aggressive atheism than any Islamic imperative.
In fact, I know no member of any religious minority, Muslim or otherwise, who asked for or even wants this. In my experience, religious minorities are far more concerned that their right to religious expression is respected and protected. That, surely, is a right belonging no less to the majority than to minorities.
Driving Christmas underground only erodes this treasured Australian norm and that is far more troubling to me than any Christmas celebration. I find the idea of restraining religious expression substantially more offensive than I find any nativity display. The impoverishment of Christmas is done more on behalf of religious minorities than by them.
This is where political correctness loses the plot; what purports to inspire tolerance instead inspires hostility and intolerance. Diverse, vibrant and tolerant societies are created by allowing eclectic cultural and religious expressions, celebrations included, to flourish. You don't achieve that by surrendering a culture, replacing it with bland meaninglessness.
Denying the Christianity in Christmas or, worse, doing away with it altogether helps no one. This is not multiculturalism. It is anti-culturalism.
Waleed Aly, a Melbourne lawyer, is a member of the Islamic Council of Victoria executive.
"The pc left has aligned itself directly with radical islam." Yes it has. And no this man can't speak for all muslims.
"Jesus is a revered, prophetic figure in Islam "
Are you aware of this?
So I've heard. I've also heard "Islam is a religion of peace". I happen to question things I hear when they are coupled with actions that belie these quaint little homilies. Jesus was also born of a Jewish woman, and I've seen little respect for Jews or Women in Islamic teachings. What is it you are attempting to pitch? Get to the point, please.
My initial comment to you was with regard to your comment about what was happening at your local schools.
Yes, the PC Left make the rules there. And they think they need to protect all muslims from jesus. But they're too stupid to realize, that muslims don't want to be protected from the birth of Jesus, since he is revered. The point is made in #17 & 15.
"So I've heard"
Are you trying to argue He isn't?
Finally, someone with some sense. I think most freepers would be shocked to find that my children enjoy christmas, and that I don't ruin it for them because I'm an atheist.
I'll make room on the bench. I'd say your experience is typical for an atheist.
Then you misunderstood the problem at the school. The school decision to ban Christmas songs was not to protect muslims from Jesus, but to protect NON-muslims from Jesus, and to protect the school from angry muslims (visions of Russia in their bureaucratic heads). And as for Jesus being revered, tell that to the Christians being slaughtered by Muslims in the Sudan. Being a messianic jew, I would be targeted by islamicfascists on two fronts. And you haven't responded to my statement about the lack of respect for women or jews by islam, rather you keep repeating the line about the so-called reverence of Jesus by muslims. Sorry, I don't want to insult you, but I don't believe it. This isn't DU.
My parents (and I) are atheists. We always loved Christmas.
No. As a Jew for Jesus, I revere Him more than you could possibly understand.
You still don't get it.
Did you read #15 or #17?
"lack of respect for women or jews by islam"
Again, you seem to be stuck on a particular sect. Don't judge all muslims as thuogh they belong to extremist or radical sects. They don't. Check into sufi muslims sometime.
It usually is not the aetheists. My mother was jewish, my father christian by heritage, but they were unitarians by practice (aetheists). We always celebrated Christmas, and my parents never objected to Christmas songs and celebration (or Hannukah) in the school.
Yes, I read the posts. What am I supposed to be convinced of? ALL sects of islam make me squeamish. I don't blame the people, they cannot help it that they are brainwashed by a series of cults that mask as a great religion. But I also know not to trust them for the same reason. Are you muslim?
The question was about whether you were trying to argue that muslims DON'T revere Jesus. Not about whether you did.
I think where all this is getting us, is that you don't distinguish between individuals, but rather lump all muslims together and judge them as a group; they're all the same to you. That's what all your comments have reflected.
In my day, it was punk rockers (I was one, pink hair and all) who hated Christmas. I think it's because they feel its so anti-nihilistic. And uncool. So it is with Goths. Black is the color of my true love's hair, lips, and fingernails..
And I stand by my comments, with apologies to no one. I don't need to conform to your standards, nor do I need to be politically correct. Everything I needed to learn about Islam, I learned on 9/11, as the saying goes. And no, I don't believe muslims revere Jesus. EOM.
Nope. Not to my standards.
Goodnight.
Yes, run back to DU. In the words of Barbara Bush to Al Franken, "I'm through with you".
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