Christmas, New Year festivities banned due to terror fears

olamide oni

December 23, 2015 4:19 PM

All events related to Christmas and New Year celebrations are contrary to Islamic culture.

Banned Christmas

The Somalian Government has banned Christmas and New Year festivities in its Muslim majority country due to fears that they might attack attack from Islamic terrorists.

The director general of the religious affairs ministry, Sheikh Mohamed Khayrow said, “all events related to Christmas and New Year celebrations are contrary to Islamic culture, which could damage the faith of the Muslim community."

Khayrow maintains that “there should be no activity at all,” saying he has directed police forces to break up any of such festivities anywhere in the country.

READ: Brunei bans Christmas, wearing of Santa Claus hats

Sheikh Nur Barud Gurhan, of the Supreme Religious Council of Somalia, said that non-Muslim festivities might provoke the ire of the Shebab, East Africa’s Al-Qaeda branch, which is headquartered in Somalia.

“We are warning against the celebration of such events which are not relevant to the principles of our religion,” Gurhan said.

Another Muslim majority country, Brunei, also banned Christmas this year.

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